Article content

ADDIS ABABA/NAIROBI — Africa will likely see higher numbers of coronavirus cases in coming weeks because of the likelihood some are slipping through the net, the head of a regional disease control body said on Thursday.

The virus has multiplied in Africa more slowly than in Asia or Europe, but 36 nations on the continent have now reported a total of more than 700 cases. Worldwide, it has infected more than 227,000 people and killed more than 9,000.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Africa coronavirus cases to rise as some undetected - Africa's CDC Back to video

“We are picking (up) some people but we are also missing some people,” said John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which is a branch of the African Union bloc.

“The situation will get worse before it gets better because the chances are clear that people have slipped through.”

Two more African countries, Chad and Niger, confirmed their first cases on Thursday, as governments across the continent announced aggressive measures in the past 24 hours to restrict travel and close public spaces.