Africa recorded a 43 per cent rise in Covid-19 deaths this week compared with last week as infections and hospital admissions have jumped and countries face shortages of oxygen and intensive-care beds, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

According to Reuters, the WHO said Africa's case fatality rate — the proportion of deaths among confirmed cases — currently stands at 2.6pc against the global average of 2.2pc.

“Deaths have climbed steeply for the past five weeks. This is a clear warning sign that hospitals in the most impacted countries are reaching a breaking point,” Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said in a statement.

It said Covid-19 cases on the African continent have risen for eight straight weeks, topping 6 million on 13 July 2021.