Africa’s COVID-19 infections top 9 million as deaths exceed 225,000

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

The number of COVID-19 infections in Africa has surpassed the 9 million mark with deaths exceeding 225,000, according to a World Health Organization tally.

Data published by the agency on Friday afternoon showed that the continent had recorded 9,090,696 confirmed cases, with 225,269 fatalities.

South Africa is the hardest-hit country by the pandemic on the continent, accounting for more than a third of Africa’s reported cases and over 40 percent of its deaths.

10 countries on the continent, mostly in Northern Africa, have registered more than 200,000 COVID-19 infections, while three have recorded more than 20,000 fatalities.

Many African countries are on high alert following the emergence of the Omicron variant, which is believed to spread faster than previous strains.

Some countries have attributed their spike in new cases to the new variant.

Like most countries globally, the continent has also embarked on a mass vaccination drive in efforts to contain further spread of the virus.

So far, 8 percent of the continent’s population is fully vaccinated.