SOUTH Africa reported more than 10,000 new coronavirus infections, the highest daily jump on record for the country as it hurtles towards an anticipated spike.
Daily tallies released by the health ministry showed 10,853 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, taking the cumulative tally since March when the virus first arrived in the country to 187,977.
The death toll stands at 3,026 after 74 new fatalities were recorded.
“As of today, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is 187 977, the total number of deaths is 3026 and the total number of recoveries is 91 227,” said Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize.
Mkhize said three of the deaths are from the Northern Cape Province, eight from Eastern Cape, 29 in North West, 10 in KwaZulu-Natal and 58 from Western Cape Province.
Western Cape, home to the tourism hub of Cape Town, recorded the highest number of deaths at 1,983, since the start of the virus three months ago.
The Eastern Cape is the second most affected province with 459 and Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, has 282 deaths.
At least 86,298 patients have recovered from the virus for a recovery rate of 48.7%, with more than 1.7 million tests conducted with nearly 40,000 in the past 24 hours.
Health authorities have been expecting a surge in cases after the gradual loosening of a strict lockdown that was imposed on March 27.
(Compiled by Inside Politics staff)
