By Addis Getachew and Rodrigue Forku

ADDIS ABABA (AA): Coronavirus cases in Africa are now over 1.55 million (1,556,262), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said in an update on Saturday.

At least 37,922 people have died across the continent, it said.

However, the figures also indicated that more than 1.29 million (1,292,306) patients have recovered.

Southern Africa has 755,943 confirmed cases, North Africa 379,125, West Africa 180,660, East Africa 181,937, and Central Africa 58,597.

New measures in DR Congo

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the government has adopted new measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The country has recorded 10,835 virus cases to date, including 276 deaths and 10,242 recoveries, according to the Africa CDC.

Among the measures approved by Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga are mandatory wearing of masks and respect for physical distancing rules in public places (transport, schools, workplaces), sanitization of places of worship and work, and increased handwashing facilities.

People entering or leaving the country must present a negative COVID-19 test result obtained within seven days from an institution approved by the Health Ministry.

The same requirement also applies for travel between provinces within the country.

[Photo: A street near the Avenue Habib Bourguiba remains empty after a lockdown imposed as a measure against the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Tunis, Tunisia on October 09, 2020.  Photographer: Yassine Gaidi/AA]