Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize announced on Friday evening that the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in South Africa had risen to 2 783.
He reported that there had been two more deaths, bringing the total number of related fatalities to 50. The latest figures represent a sharp jump of 178 since Thursday’s numbers were released, with the growing number of daily cases reported owed to enhanced testing and screening procedures.
Over 100 000 tests have now been conducted in South Africa, with the recovery rate standing at 903.
Provincial breakdown
The following confirmed COVID-19 cases have been detected in each province as of Friday 17 April:
- Gauteng – 1018 cases;
- Western Cape – 717 cases;
- KwaZulu-Natal – 591 cases;
- Free State – 100 cases;
- Eastern Cape – 264 cases;
- Limpopo – 26 cases;
- Mpumalanga – 23 cases;
- North West – 24 cases;
- Northern Cape – 16 cases; and
- Unallocated – 22 cases.
Gauteng passes 1 000 mark
Gauteng, remaining the country’s epicentre of the virus domestically, became the first province to record over 1 000 cases.
The latest fatalities were both from the Western Cape, and Mkhize said that they both suffered from underlying respiratory illness.
“Today we regrettably report two new COVID-19 related deaths. Both deceased are from the Western Cape,” Mkhize said in a statement
