Cape Town - South Africa’s Covid-19 death rate rose to 49 993 on Sunday, after 52 more people died from the coronavirus, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said.
The country recorded 1 168 new cases of the coronavirus on February 28, bringing the cumulative number of cases to 1 513 393 with 33 141 active cases, Mkhize said.
Recoveries now stand at 1 430 259, representing a recovery rate of 94.5%.
Four provinces recorded zero deaths on Sunday with 4 deaths recorded in the Eastern Cape, 4 in the Free State, 25 in Gauteng, 2 in KwaZulu-Natal and 17 in the Western Cape 17.
KwaZulu-Natal has the most active cases with 9 734, followed by Free State (6 487) and the Western Cape (6 168).
The number of health care workers vaccinated under the Sisonke Protocol is 70 527 as of 7.30pm on Sunday, Mkhize said.
The latest report from the Health Department comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday that the country would move to lockdown level 1 from midnight.
Ramaphosa said that the Cabinet had decided to ease restrictions on movement and activity due to a decline in coronavirus infections, downgrading the national alert level from 3 to 1.
"The country has now clearly emerged from the second wave," Ramaphosa said.
The president also said that the start of the vaccination campaign has gone “extremely well”.
“All provinces have established vaccination sites and have put in place plans for the expansion of the programme as it gains momentum. The number of sites that will be available for vaccination will be expanded next week from 17 sites to 49 sites. Of the 49 sites, 32 will be at public hospitals and 17 sites in private hospitals. This includes sites in rural areas to improve access to rural healthcare workers," Ramaphosa said.
“Once the vaccination of healthcare workers has been completed, we will begin with phase two of the vaccine roll-out in late April or early May.
“Phase two will include the elderly, essential workers, persons living or working in institutional settings and those with co-morbidities," the president said.
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