Johannesburg - South Africa’s Covid-19 death toll has risen to 1284, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced on Thursday night.
Earlier, while speaking in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, he announced that cases had risen by 3147 to over 58 000 as of Thursday.
Mkhize also said that there were now over one million Covid-19 tests which had been conducted in the country. He said 1 028 399 tests had been conducted, of which, more than 532 000 tests had been done in the public sector. He said just under 30 000 tests had been conducted in the past 24 hours.
The country is currently in Day 77 of the national lockdown which has been eased to alert level three since the start of June, allowing more businesses and alcohol to be sold for the first time since late March.
LATEST DEATHS
Western Cape - 39
Eastern Cape - 31
North West - 4
“This brings the total national deaths to 1284 with a mortality rate of 2,2%. We extend our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the health care workers who treated the deceased,” said Mkhize.
The minister said recoveries had increased from 31505 on Wednesday, to 33252 on Thursday. He said this translated to a recovery rate of 56,8%.
Earlier, while commenting on the rising infections in the Eastern Cape, Mkhize said the province had to work hard to ensure contacts were traced, isolated and quarantined. He warned that if this was not done, infections would continue to rise.
About the Free State province, Mkhize said the province had managed to slow the rate of infection after it had initially been growing rapidly after a church-linked event. He said the province was the first to aggressively slow the rate of infection.
And in the North West, where the numbers have now rocketed to over 700, he said officials were screening actively in the community and there was good cooperation with stakeholders including the mineral resources department and the mining community.
Mkhize said a tracking and tracing platform had been started by government and was currently in use in the Western Cape. He said he wanted the Eastern Cape to also take advantage of it and said the platform would be rolled out in the country in the coming weeks.
LATEST BREAKDOWN
Total Cases
Recoveries
Deaths
South Africa
58568
33252
1284
Western Cape
37422
24050
966
Gauteng
7953
2890
57
Eastern Cape
7868
4107
178
KZN
3472
1572
64
North West
757
128
5
Free State
406
162
9
Limpopo
267
175
3
Mpumalanga
228
116
1
Northern Cape
132
52
1