Happy Easter Monday! We hope you took some time off the news cycle over the holidays.

Here is a roundup of last week’s COVID-19 news.

If you want to know how COVID-19 is likely to cost sub-Saharan Africa between $37 billion and $79 billion in terms of output losses for 2020, here is the World Bank’s assessment of the economic impact of COVID-19 and policy responses in sub-Saharan Africa.

In an op-ed by WHO and the IMF, they urge nations that getting the virus under control is, if anything, a prerequisite to saving livelihoods.

South Sudan and Sao Tome and Principe reported their first cases last week bringing the total number of African countries with confirmed cases to 52. Lesotho and the Comoros are the only two countries with no cases at the moment.

The total confirmed cases as of 12 April is 13,570 up from 8,607 on April 5.

Let’s take a look at the data coming out of Africa.

North African has nearly doubled its number of cases this week growing from 3,857 to 6026.

Among the deaths was 68-year-old former prime minister of Libya Mahmoud Jibril who contacted the virus in March and passed away in Egypt where he was receiving treatment. In Morocco, plans are underway to transform its largest exhibition center to provide beds for 700 patients battling this disease.

 Down South, the number of confirmed cases continued to grow with South Africa leading the charge with 2,028 cases making it the highest of any single country on the continent.  The country has extended its initial lockdown to the end of April.

In West Africa, the number of reported cases continue to rise in each country with the highest number of cases recorded in Cote d’Ivoire (533) but the highest increase in a week recorded in Niger (144 to 491). While most cases in Niger are recorded in the capital Niamey, the country is dealing with the added pressure of quarantining seasonal workers and migrants stuck at its border on their way to Libya, Algeria and Europe.

At the close of this week, Central Africa surpassed 1,000 reported cases of infection. It is also worrisome to note that despite the fact that it has 54% less cases than Southern Africa, its total death stood at 36 while Southern Africa stood at 37. Like last week, Cameroon recorded the highest number of confirmed cases in Central Africa at 803.

Much like Central Africa, East Africa surpassed the 1,000 mark in recorded cases closing the week at 1,163 cases. Total death is lowest in the region at 27.

Source- WHO COVID-19 Situation Reports 77-76 / North Africa Post / Aljazeera