A shocking statistic of 8 124 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 was reported in the last 24 hours.
This is the first time since the coronavirus hit SA’s shores, that new cases have been this high.
This takes the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 159 333.
The department of health reported that there was regrettably another 92 COVID-19 related deaths. Of these fatalities, 17 were in the Eastern Cape, 28 in Gauteng, 10 in KZN and 37 in the Western Cape.
“Total number of deaths 2749,” said health minister, Zweli Mkhize.
The mortality rate is 1,7% and the number of recoveries is 76 025.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a virtual imbizo, addressing and taking questions from South Africans, said with infection levels increasing at a rapid pace, it is important for all to join in the fight against the virus.
He also spoke about lifting the alcohol ban and that the consequences were regrettable.
“The trauma units in our hospitals were relatively empty during the lockdown period and after the relaxation of the alcohol ban, they’ve now been clogged with a number of cases. The other part that’s regrettable, and this is now the social aspect, is that we are seeing as one of the countries on the world that has a high alcohol consumption level and this is something that I have said we need to have a conversation about.”
WHO (World Health Organisation) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual briefing yesterday the hard reality is this (virus) is not even close to being over.
“Although many countries have made some progress, globally the pandemic is actually speeding up. We’re all in this together, and we’re all in this for the long haul. We will need even greater stores of resilience, patience, humility and generosity in the months ahead. We have already lost so much — but we cannot lose hope,” he said.
