DURBAN – SOUTH Africa now has a cumulative number of 1 496 439 Covid-19 cases with 2 320 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.
The Health Ministry announced that 165 new deaths have also been recorded, taking the SA’s total number of Covid-19-related deaths to 48 478.
Eastern Cape – 15
Free State – 22
Gauteng – 76
KwaZulu-Natal – 14
Mpumalanga – 4
Northern Cape – 9
Western Cape – 25
“The cumulative total of tests conducted to date is 8 772 743 with 35 413 new tests recorded since the last report. Our recoveries now stand at 1 399 829, representing a recovery rate of 93,5%,” the Ministry confirmed.
Meanwhile, the various provinces are expected to roll-out their Covid-19 vaccines this week. Last night, SA’s batch of 80 000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines arrived at the OR International Airport.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize and five health-care workers were among the first group of people to be vaccinated against the coronavirus which has claimed the lives of more than 2 million people around the world.
Receiving the #COVID19 vaccine at Khayelitsha hospital earlier today. #IChooseVacciNation #VaccineRolloutSA pic.twitter.com/ri1oAeFQd5
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) February 17, 2021
Both Gauteng and the Western Cape kicked off their vaccination programmes today and KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala and KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu are expected to launch the province’s Covid-19 vaccine roll-out plan tomorrow at the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in uMlazi.