Cape Town – An additional 173 Covid-19-related deaths have been recorded in South Africa, pushing the cumulative number of deaths to 8 539.
In a statement, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Monday 20 deaths were recorded in the Eastern Cape, 37 in Gauteng, 12 in KwaZulu-Natal, 31 in the Western Cape and 28 in North West, with the 45 fatalities in Mpumalanga being the highest. A total of 213 people died from the virus yesterday.
“The number of recoveries currently stands at 358 037, which translates to a recovery rate of 69 percent (a 1 percent increase),” said Mkhize.
As of Monday, a cumulative total of 516 862 confirmed Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the country.
The total number of tests conducted to date is 3 058 695, with 21 916 being new tests.
Meanwhile, the alcohol sector on Monday welcomed a call by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) for the government to start planning to lift the ban on alcohol sales.
Saying they were only “interim measures”, SAMRC president Dr Glenda Gray said: “We need to be nimble. We have seen the impact that the curfew and alcohol ban have (had)...
“So I would recommend now that we do have hospital space... We need to respond appropriately so we can manage both lives and livelihoods.”
There was more drama related to alcohol after ANC Far North regional executive committee member Maniza Chantal Ngcobo was seen allegedly distributing alcohol in a video shared on social media.
The video involving the uMkhanyakude municipality chief whip will be discussed when the Far North regional executive committee meets provincial ANC officials on Tuesday, chairperson Ndodephethe Mthethwa said.
Also on Monday, SA Breweries announced it had cancelled R2.5 billion in capital and infrastructure upgrades for 2020 and is reviewing another R2.5 billion for 2021.
Amid the growing furore surrounding corrupt personal protective equipment tenders , the SA Medical Technology Industry Association has urged its members not be party to “improper” business practices.
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