Durban - South Africa’s Covid-19 deaths inched towards the 50 000 mark on Tuesday after figures from the National Department of Health revealed that 49 413 people had so far succumbed to the virus.
According to the department, 263 Covid-19 related deaths were reported on Tuesday - up from the previous day’s total of 97 deaths.
Of the latest deaths, 51 were in the Eastern Cape, 27 in the Free State, 39 in Gauteng, 60 KwaZulu-Natal, 55 in Limpopo, three in the Northern Cape and 28 in the Western Cape.
Mpumalanga and the North-West recored 0 deaths.
“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the health care workers who treated the deceased patients,” the department said in its daily statement.
A silver lining in the statistics was that South Africa’s recovery rate for the virus was 94%.
A total of 1 419 459 people have recovered from the virus.
The latest data comes on the back of the Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, announcing on Tuesday that South Africa was expected to take delivery of 80 000 more does of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine by the weekend.
He said SA had joined more than 87 countries in the fight against Covid-19.
Of the 80 000 vaccines that were delivered last week, 23 059 people were vaccinated by Monday and the country was on course to inoculate 40 000 by this Wednesday, Mkhize said.
Mkhize said 54 685 health-care workers have contracted Covid-19 in the public sector and 779 have since passed on.
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