Coronavirus in south africa
No evidence SA’s new COVID-19 variant is more severe - Karim
The 501Y.V2 variant is making the rounds during the second wave of the coronavirus in South Africa.
South Africa's recovery rate has increased slightly to 82% meaning just over 1,098,000 people have recovered so far.
South Africans will be eagerly waiting to hear what Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has to say when she addresses the nation on Friday around her department’s plans to reopen schools.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced that youths between the ages of 15 and 19 were now the drivers of the virus.
The cumulative number of infections now stands on 757,000 cases with the Eastern Cape and Western Cape showing a spike in the number of infections per day.
The municipality has seen a rise in cases, with the Eastern Cape province having now recorded nearly 109,000 infections.
He's noticed COVID-19 fatigue with people choosing not to wear their masks anymore failing to keep their social distance and becoming lax when it comes to washing their hands.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the country has recorded over 740,000 COVID-19 cases with the death toll now having passed the 20,000 mark.
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Wednesday to give an update on the status of COVID-19 in South Africa. He expressed government's concern over the massive spikes in the Eastern Cape.
Presidency Minister Jackson Mthembu said the national coronavirus command council would be meeting next week after which President Cyril Ramaphosa would brief the nation.
The provincial health department's Professor Mary-Anne Davies said last Monday the seven-day average was 230 cases per day, this week it was 190 cases per day.
The Gauteng Health Department has attributed the increase in active cases to people ignoring social distancing and choosing not to wear masks.
The highest number of deaths was recorded in the Northern Cape, at 8 fatalities; there were five deaths in Gauteng, five in KwaZulu-Natal, five from the Gauteng, four from the Western Cape and another two from the Limpopo province.
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula conducted a COVID-19 regulations compliance inspection at the airport on Thursday.
Gauteng had the highest number of fatalities after it recorded 41 new COVID-19 related deaths. It was followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 12 deaths, the Eastern Cape with 11, and the Western Cape with eight deaths.
The prohibition was relaxed as the country dropped to level two lockdown this week with COVID-19 infections stabilising.
Another 282 deaths push SA's fatalities over the 12,000 mark. On a positive note, the recovery rate has increased to 82%, with over 485,000 people having recovered so far.
On Monday, the health ministry reported that 2,541 new infections had been detected over the past 24-hour cycle.
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