According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the African Union (Africa CDC), the number of positive cases has risen to 736,288, an additional 15,666 in the last 24 hours, with 391,898 people recovered, an additional 9041.
Southern Africa has the highest number of cases (388,019) and 5465 deaths, the vast majority concentrated in South Africa, the country with the most infected and dead throughout the continent, with 373,628 cases and 5173 fatalities.
North Africa is the region with the most deaths (5960), with 138,332 infections.
West Africa accounts for 1731 deaths and 109,440 cases, East Africa has 1403 deaths in 57,031 cases, while Central Africa has 859 deaths and 43,466 infections.
After South Africa, Egypt is the second country with the most deaths (4352) and 88,402 cases, followed by Algeria with 1078 deaths and 23,084 infections.
Among the five countries most affected is also Nigeria, with 801 deaths and 37,225 positive cases, and Sudan, with 693 deaths and 10,992 infected.
In relation to Portuguese-speaking African countries and according to data from local authorities, Cape Verde has the highest number of infections (2070, of which 21 deaths), while Angola leads in terms of fatalities - 29 deaths among the 749 diagnosed cases.
Guinea-Bissau registers 1,949 positive cases, which resulted in 26 deaths, while Mozambique accounts for 1,507 cases and 11 fatalities.
Sao Tome and Principe has 746 cases of infection with the new coronavirus, which has caused 14 deaths.
Equatorial Guinea, which is part of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), has had 3071 cases and 51 deaths for several days, according to Africa CDC, although the Equato-Guinean authorities report fewer positive cases (2350) and the same number of deaths.
The first case of covid-19 in Africa emerged in Egypt on 14 February and Nigeria was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to report cases of infection on 28 February.
The covid-19 pandemic has already claimed over 606,000 lives and infected over 14.5 million people in 196 countries and territories, according to a report by the French agency AFP.
The disease is transmitted by a new coronavirus detected at the end of December in Wuhan, a city in central China.
