Home News #Covid19 Death toll rises over 200 mark

#Covid19 Death toll rises over 200 mark

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North West recorded its first death.

The country’s confirmed Covid-19 cases now stand at 10 652, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said on Monday. 

North West recorded its first death, while eight were recorded in the Western Cape, two in the Eastern Cape and two in KwaZulu-Natal.

There have been a total of 206 deaths, recoveries are now at 4 357, with 637 new cases.

A total of 356 067 Covid-19 tests were conducted countrywide on Sunday, of which 14 731 are new tests – 174 978 were tested at private hospitals and 181 089 at public hospitals.

Mkhize confirmed the latest figures during a visit to the Eastern Cape, saying about 8 million people have been screened countrywide for the virus. 

The Western Cape has seen the biggest increase in confirmed cases with 453, followed by the Eastern Cape at 138, Gauteng at 19, KwaZulu-Natal at 19, North West with five and one new case in the Northern Cape.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his weekly letter on Monday, said the lockdown brought the country some time to prepare the health system and decrease the spread. 

Ramaphosa said as the country was easing out of the lockdown, now on level 4, life would change for citizens as many of the practices would still need to remain, such as how people socialise and gather.

“While there is still much about the pandemic that is unknown, experts now agree that the virus will remain a threat to global public health for some time,” he said. 

“We must, therefore, be prepared to continue to live with the coronavirus among us for a year or even more. We must be prepared for a new reality in which the fight against Covid-19 becomes part of our daily existence. 

“Our success in overcoming the coronavirus will ultimately be determined by the changes we make in our behaviour.” 

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