Cape Town - South Africa’s 10 new Covid-19 deaths on Saturday came from the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng, data released by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize shows. The three provinces currently have the highest number of cases in the country.
The Western and Eastern Cape accounted for 1 038 (85.2 percent) of the 1 218 new cases reported on Saturday.
Deaths and recoveries
With 261 deaths, the Western Cape is also responsible for just over 64 percent of the country's Covid-19 related fatalities.
Across the country, 10 104 patients have recovered
from Covid-19, Mkhize's office said.
Saturday's big jump in infections comes as South Africa prepares to ease down to level 3 lockdown in the coming days.
On Sunday President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation to provide an update on developments in South Africa’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of Covid-19, the presidency said.
LATEST BREAKDOWN
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PROVINCE
TOTAL CASES
NEW CASES
TOTAL DEATHS
RECOVERIES
% OF TOTAL
Western Cape
13826
936
261
6126
65
Eastern Cape
2569
110
58
1036
12
Gauteng
2633
112
29
1776
12
KwaZulu-Natal
1777
45
48
880
8
Free State
196
5
6
121
1
Mpumalanga
97
3
0
58
0
North West
81
6
1
29
0
Limpopo
124
18
3
51
1
Northern Cape
40
2
1
27
0
TOTAL
21 343
1 160
407
10 104
100.0
The brigade of Cuban healthcare professionals who arrived n South Africa earlier this month the assist with the fight against the coronavirus has completed the madatory 14-day quarantine period and a team has already arrived in KwaZulu-Natal. Another team is set to arrive in the Western Cape on Sunday.
Medicine shortages
Meanwhile, the Weekend Argus on Saturday reported that supplies of antiretroviral drugs, contraceptives and anti-infection medication was running low at pharmacies across the country.
“Covid-19 is consuming existing resources globally, so drug manufacturers are now manufacturing supplies that are needed in the Covid-19 response, so the usual drug supply is disrupted,” Ruth Dube, the co-ordinator for the Stop Stockouts Project said. The project is the brainchild of six NGOs and monitors the availability of critical medication in order to assist patients whose lives are threatended by shortages of essential medication.
Part of the reason for some of these medications being in short supply could be the decision by Minister Mkhize to extend prescriptions for chronic medications during the lockdown, the report said.
* The discrepancy in the national figures and those released by the Western Cape government is due to the different cut-off times for provincial and national reporting of covid-19 statistics.
** For the latest on the Covid-19 outbreak, visit IOL's special #Coronavirus page.
*** If you think you have been exposed to the Covid-19 virus, please call the 24-hour hotline on 0800 029 999 or visit sacoronavirus.co.za