Cape Town - Confirmed cases of Covid-19 in South Africa have risen to 21 343, with 10 more deaths reported in the past 24 hours, according the Health Minister Zweli Mkhize. This brings the total number of deaths related to Covid-19 in the country to 407.
Saturday's 1 218 new cases represents one of the highest jumps in daily new infections yet.
The Eastern Cape on Saturday reported 5 new deaths, while Gauteng reported two. With 4 new deaths bringing its total fatalities to 261, the Western Cape has the highest number of Covid-19-related deaths.
Nationally, 564 370 tests have been conducted in both the private and public sectors, with 21 338 of these having been done in the past 24 hours.
A total of 10 104 patients have recovered from Covid-19.
On Sunday the Western Cape, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the positive cases in the country, will welcome the arrival of Cuban health workers who will be deployed to various provincial health facilities. The group is made up of of experts in epidemiology, biostatistics, and public health; family physicians; health care technology engineers and experts who will provide technical assistance to the province's frontline workers.
The province has also reported an increase in the number of patients needing to be hospitalised due to Covid-19.
"The Western Cape is starting to see increased patients receiving care in our hospitals as we move towards the peak of the infection in the province. At the close of business yesterday, 557 patients were being treated in hospital, with 154 of these in ICU or high care. The Western Cape hospital system has the capacity to deal with the demand for hospital beds at this time," the province said on Saturday.
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.
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** 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