Eastern cape
Mabuyane: Suspension of certain festive activities helped decrease COVID deaths
Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane has given an update on the province's COVID-19 resurgence plan.
The Western Cape and Eastern Cape have some of the country's highest COVID-19 infections rates and fatalities.
The health workers who have died in the Eastern Cape were among 9,249 medical personnel who were infected with COVID-19 in the province.
There has been concern from society following revelations that some community members in the Eastern Cape have resorted to digging up the graves of their family members who succumbed to the coronavirus.
The total number of confirmed infections reported in the country since March has now reached nearly 1,150,000.
Oscar Mabuyane has given an update on the province's response to the pandemic, saying all districts have shown a decline in the number of infections.
The national coronavirus command council met this weekend to decide what to do to slow the spread of the virus.
The department said the average daily infection rate has shown a strong decrease since the beginning of December.
This forms part of the province's safety plan for the holiday period.
The department urged all of those who came into contact with the MEC to isolate and test immediately.
Mabuyane’s spokesperson Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha said provincial government and its municipalities took the decision to close beaches and parks as they pose a great risk of spreading COVID-19 infections.
Michael Zonke is said to have visited the woman earlier this week at her home where he is accused of raping her.
On the recovery front, almost 745,000 people have recuperated so far.
Nelson Mandela Bay has emerged as an infection hotspot and residents have now been slapped with tighter curbs.
In the province, 8,291 active cases have been recorded, 63.7% are from the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and Sarah Baartman District.
Nowa Makula (32) appeared briefly in the Elliotdale Magistrates Court on Monday.
Police acted on a tip-off that the alleged killer was hiding in a flat, belonging to a relative.
A 42-year-old mother and her five children - aged six months to 10-years-old - were killed at the Dabekweni Locality, in Kwaaiman on Tuesday.
Provincial health authorities said that 1,277 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in the province on Wednesday.