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Infections have plummeted from over 308,000 circumstances weekly at the beginning of the 12 months to lower than 20,000 within the week ending 10 April.
Round 18,000 circumstances and 239 deaths have been recorded over the previous week, representing respective declines of 29 per cent and 37 per cent when in comparison with the earlier week.
Report decline, no resurgence
This low stage of an infection has not been seen since April 2020, WHO stated. The earlier longest decline was between 1 August and 10 October of final 12 months.
Moreover, no African nation is at present witnessing COVID-19 resurgence, which is when there was a 20 per cent improve in circumstances for no less than two consecutive weeks, and the week-on-week rise is 30 per cent above the earlier highest weekly an infection peak.
Keep the course
Regardless of the reducing infections, it’s essential that nations stay vigilant in opposition to COVID-19, stated WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti.
Nations should additionally keep surveillance measures, together with to swiftly detect virus variants, improve testing and scale up vaccination.
“With the virus nonetheless circulating, the danger of latest and doubtlessly extra lethal variants rising stays, and the pandemic management measures are pivotal to efficient response to a surge in infections,” she stated.
Chilly season warning
WHO has additionally warned of the excessive threat of one other wave of infections because the chilly season approaches within the southern hemisphere, from June by means of August.
Earlier pandemic waves in Africa have coincided with decrease temperatures, with folks principally remaining indoors and sometimes in poorly ventilated areas.
New variants may have an effect on the evolution of the pandemic, now in its third 12 months.
Just lately, new sub-lineages of the Omicron variant have been detected in Botswana and South Africa. Consultants in these nations are conducting additional analysis to find out whether or not they’re extra infectious or virulent.
The variants, referred to as BA.4 and BA.5, have additionally been confirmed in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, and the UK. WHO stated to date, there’s “no vital epidemiological distinction” between them and different recognized Omicron sub-lineages.
Weigh the dangers
As infections recede in Africa, a number of nations have begun easing key COVID-19 measures, akin to surveillance and quarantine, in addition to public well being measures together with mask-wearing and bans on mass gatherings.
WHO is urging governments to weigh the dangers and advantages of enjoyable these measures, making an allowance for the capability of their well being methods, inhabitants immunity to COVID-19, and nationwide socio-economic priorities.
The company additional suggested that methods must be in place to shortly reinstate measures ought to the scenario worsen.
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