Nyakallo Tefu
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has announced the first two coronavirus deaths in the country on Friday, as the number of COVID-19 cases rose to more than 1 000.
Mkhize said the two deaths occurred in the Western Cape – one at a private hospital and the other one at a public hospital.
“This morning, we wake South Africans up with sad news that we now have our first deaths resulting from COVID-19,” Mkhize said in a statement on Friday.
The deaths come as South Africa entered the first day of a 21-day national lockdown aimed at slowing down the spread of the virus. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the lockdown on Monday.
