African countries urgently need to scale up coronavirus testing and the use of face masks, a regional disease control body has said, as the epidemic gains traction across the continent with confirmed cases topping half a million.

John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said new cases were up 24 per cent in Africa in the past week.

“The pandemic is gaining full momentum,” he told a virtual news conference from Addis Ababa, according to Reuters.

“We must adopt an aggressive and bold approach: #maskonallfaces, ramp up Test, Trace, and Treat, strengthen community response. This will save lives and save (the) economy,” he added on Twitter.