The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent reached 3,551,956 as of Sunday morning, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

According to the continental disease control and prevention agency's COVID-19 dashboard, the death toll related to the pandemic in Africa stood at 90,454.

A total of 3,033,621 people infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far, the African Union (AU) Commission's healthcare agency disclosed.

The Southern Africa region is the most affected area in Africa in terms of the number of confirmed positive cases, followed by the Northern Africa region, according to the agency.

The most affected African countries in terms of the number of positive cases include South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, and Ethiopia, said the Africa CDC.

South Africa has reported the highest COVID-19-inflicted deaths in Africa, at 43,951 as of Sunday, according to the Africa CDC.

Meanwhile, the Africa CDC on Saturday said the ongoing second wave COVID-19 infections could be associated with the emergence of variants that are more transmissible.

"Africa is currently experiencing an increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases," the African Union (AU) Commission's specialized healthcare agency said in its latest publication on Saturday.

At least 40 African countries have experienced a second wave of the pandemic as of January 27, including all countries in the Southern Africa region, the Africa CDC said.

"This new wave of infections is thought to be associated with the emergence of variants that are more transmissible," the Africa CDC said. Xinhua