8,536 confirmed cases, 360 deaths, and 710 recoveries were reported in 50 African Union member states, according to the African CDC's official Twitter account on April 5.

Since a significant portion of confirmed cases in Africa are imported ones and local transmission is occurring, a group of volunteers titled COVID-19 Afro Tracking Team has developed an infographic to follow the recent COVID-19 outbreak in Africa.

The infographic shows that the countries severely hit by COVID-19 are those who have more frequent flights with the outside world. South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Senegal and Burkina Faso are among them. Intercontinental travel has facilitated the rapid, large-scale spread of COVID-19 in Africa. Although most African nations have closed their borders to contain the outbreak, local transmissions have triggered an increased spread.

The team said that by providing insights to the pattern of COVID-19 transmission into Africa, the infographic aims to further inform the global efforts in combating the pandemic on the continent.

By tracing the routes of imported cases, health authorities in Africa can further strengthen early warning systems, border control, and quarantine regulations with quick responses amid future global epidemics, but more investment in the public health system is urgently needed in Africa.

According to the team, minor discrepancies may exist between sources due to the challenges in data collection and verification. This information is also free for non-commercial purposes.

(Cover: Imported cases of COVID-19 in Africa, data from February 14 to March 28. /COVID-19 Afro Tracking Team)