People stand in a queue to receive food aid amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at the Itireleng informal settlement, near Laudium suburb in Pretoria, South Africa, May 20, 2020. /Reuters
The number of COVID-19 infections in Africa have risen beyond 91,000 as the continues its fight against the disease.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention said the number of cases had hit 91,598, a rise from 88,172 on Tuesday.
The agency said the continent's death toll had reached 2,912 even as member countries continue to put more efforts in prevention measures.
As the COVID-19 numbers continue to rise, the African Union has urged member states to prioritize saving lives and bring the health emergency under control, as well as alleviating economic hardship associated with the pandemic.
The Au also wants the recovery measures adopted in the war against COVID-19 to address long-term development deficits and create resilient economies and societies, with a central role for locally available renewable energy resources.
Globally, COVID-19 infections have surpassed 4.9 million with more than 324,000 fatalities, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
As the pandemic figures continue to rise, the World Health Organization has called for unity in the fight against COVID-19.
"As I have said many times, it is only through such solidarity and mutual support that we will beat the COVID-19 pandemic, and be better prepared for other threats in the future," said Tedros Adhanom, the WHO Director-General said in a briefing on Wednesday.