The number of people who have died from the novel coronavirus complications reached 31,701, a health agency said on Wednesday.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention – ACDCP, the total number of people who have contracted the virus in the continent has surpassed 1.31 million.
The centre added that more than one million patients have recovered.
Southern Africa is the worst hit in terms of both caseload and death toll with 691,100 people confirmed positive to the virus and 16,200 fatalities.
North Africa has recorded 254,500 cases, 9,100 deaths; West Africa 165,700 cases and 2,500 deaths; East Africa 146,500 cases and 2,900 deaths; and Central Africa 55,500 cases and 1,100 deaths.
Egypt in North Africa confirmed 100,200 cases, Ethiopia in East Africa 60,800 cases, Nigeria in West Africa 55,500 cases, while Cameroon in Central Africa registered 19,600 cases.
At least 5,600 people died in Egypt, 1,100 in Nigeria, 949 in Ethiopia and 414 in Cameroon.
In the same vein, the coronavirus crisis has cost the automotive industry billions of dollars worldwide and inflicted heavy losses on companies.
A study by Ernst and Young consulting group, operating losses among the world’s 17 biggest carmakers amounted close to 11 billion euros – 12.9 billion dollars – in the second quarter of 2020, when restrictions to stem the pandemic took their toll on the global economy.
In the same period last year, there was a combined profit of about 22 billion euros.
Only six manufacturers managed to stay in the black, with U.S. e-car company Tesla struggling to post a year-on-year improvement, letting it jump to the top of the rank as the most profitable automaker, EY said.
The study, however, pointed out that no carmaker was able to avoid falling revenues in the second quarter.
According to the study, combined earnings amounted to just under 177 billion euros, plunging by a 41 per cent compared to the second quarter of 2019.