Visitors wash hands at the entrance to the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) in Entebbe, Uganda, Aug. 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Nicholas Kajoba)

The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday revealed the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa surged to 1,064,546 as the death toll rose to 23,839.

ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) on Wednesday revealed the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa surged to 1,064,546 as the death toll rose to 23,839.

The Africa CDC, a specialized healthcare agency of the African Union (AU) Commission, in its latest situation update issued on Wednesday, said the number of COVID-19 cases across the African continent has risen from 1, 055, 964 on Tuesday to 1,064, 546 as of Wednesday.

The Africa CDC also noted that the continent-wide COVID-19 related death toll registered an increase of 257 deaths compared to Tuesday's 23,582 to reach 23, 839.

The continental disease control and prevention agency also said the number of people who recovered from their COVID-19 infections also reached 758,292 so far.

Isolation boards are seen in a barbershop in Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug. 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Cheng)

South Africa currently has the most COVID-19 cases at 566,109. The country also has the highest COVID-19 related deaths, with death toll currently standing at 10,751, according to the Africa CDC.

Egypt comes next with 95, 834 COVID-19 cases and 5,059 COVID-19 related deaths followed by Nigeria which has so far recorded 47, 290 COVID-19 cases and 956 deaths.

The Southern Africa region is the most affected area in terms of confirmed cases, followed by Northern Africa and Western Africa regions, the Africa CDC said.

Amid the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across the continent, the Africa CDC had on Friday urged the African continent to increase compliance to the public health and social measures as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to gain momentum in Africa.

"We must increase mass wearing of masks as we expand testing and treatment services," the Africa CDC Director John Nkengasong said in his message following the launch of the World Mask Week, slated from August 7 to 14, as an effort to increase the use of face coverings in public across the globe. ■