Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week warned the African governments to prepare and step up preparations for a second wave due to the accelerating cases of COVID-19 in some parts of Africa.
According to Reuter’s, over the past four weeks, cases have increased by 45% per week on average in Kenya, by 19% in Democratic Republic of Congo and by 8% in Egypt, the African Union-run organisation’s head John Nkengasong said.
The time to prepare for a second wave is truly now, not to get into prevention fatigue mode. We will need to be dealing with some of these upticks. What is important is to contain them.
Dr John Nkengasong currently serves as the first Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) says.
Africa actually did better than expected in terms of containing the epidemic, with a lower percentage of deaths than other regions, partly due to strict lockdown measures imposed in March.
The second wave is expected with many governments easing restrictions in early August. However, the trend of decreasing cases has flattened, Matshidiso Moeti, Africa director for the WHO said in an online press conference on Thursday.