Equatorial Guinea is \u201cseverely affected\u201d by the coronavirus, the World Health Organization\u2019s (WHO) Africa head said on Thursday, as its representative in the country was told to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Central African nation of over 1.2 million people has registered more than 1,000 cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths since confirmation of its first case in mid-March, according to WHO data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is dwarfed by other countries in the region, but is significant given the oil-producing nation\u2019s small population, the WHO said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy population we estimate it to be one of the severely affected countries in terms of the number of cases,\u201d WHO\u2019s Matshidiso Moeti told reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The government has asked the WHO to replace its representative Triphonie Nkurunziza in Equatorial Guinea, Moeti added, without giving details on why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are currently working on doing that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to emphasise very much that we are committed to working with the government, particularly working to support the people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sub-Saharan Africa\u2019s only Spanish-speaking territory, run along authoritarian lines by President Teodoro Obiang since a 1979 coup, has also been badly hit by a global oil downturn this year as fossil fuels provide 90% of state revenue. [nL5N2CF673]<\/p>\n\n\n\n