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Coronavirus: Cameroon passes 1,000 cases mark

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Cameroon has climbed to 1,017, which doubles its tally in the last 15 days. According to the real time statistics updated Saturday morning by the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In early April, the country’s infection stood at 509. It has reached 1,017 as of April 20th according to records by the john Hopkins University tracking site. There are 117 recoveries with 22 deaths.

Health care professionals have also contracted the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic putting themselves at risk. There have been efforts at disinfecting public places with the announcement of the extension of an additional 15 days of national distancing.

A social media push for President Paul Biya to address the nation did not pay off exactly but the president popped up on Thursday after a long public absence.

Cameroon like most African countries closed its borders – land, sea and air, suspended all academic activities but has not imposed a lockdown or curfew. Coordination of COVID-19 efforts has largely rested on Prime Minister Dion Nguthe.

In early April, a month after the first case of COVID-19 was recorded, Cameroonians mounted a social media campaign demanding that 87-year-old Paul Biya addresses the nation like most of his peers across the continent were doing.

Our active case finding strategy is starting to pay off. We did 800 tests (majority of travelers) 203 of them are positive but asymptomatic, that we must leave the community and treat,” Minister Manouda Malachie wrote in a twitter post.

READ ALSO:Coronavirus: Eto’o to support Cameroonians in fight against virus

Cameroon’s Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute said schools will resume in the country on June 1 “depending on the evolution” of the pandemic in the country.

“There is every reason to believe that actions being carried out in various fields to limit the spread of this virus in our country are already producing encouraging results and deserve to be intensified on the ground until this pandemic is eradicated,” Ngute said in a statement.

Cameroon is the most impacted country across Central Africa. Only DR Congo have passed the 100 mark in the region with 134.

Read also:Coronavirus: Cameroon turns stadium to isolation centre for patients