Durban - KwaZulu-Natal has recorded its first Covid-19 death.
On Sunday, the Health Ministry confirmed that a 74-year-old man was the second South African to have died from the coronavirus.
According to Department of Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, the man had been on a ventilation machine at a private hospital in the KZN town of Ladysmith.
The man had travelled to the Kruger National Park with his family and when he got back, he began displaying flu-like symptoms.
On March 27, the man tested positive for Covid-19.
"It has been reported to us that the deceased patient had an underlying skin cancer condition which had already complicated. Futhermore he presented with respiratory distress, shortness of breath, cardiac failure, decreased saturation and his temperature was above 38 degrees," Mkhize said.
The man's family, 14 health workers, including three doctors who were in contact with the man, are in quarantine and being monitored.
The country's first Covid-19 death was reported in the Western Cape last week.
Madeleine van Wyk, 48, died at the Durbanville Mediclinic. According to Mkhize, van Wyk had been suffering from a pulmonary embolism or a blood clot on her lung.
As of Sunday, the Ministry said that there were 1280 confirmed cases of coronavirus infections in SA.
