Home

2 320 new coronavirus cases in SA, 165 related deaths

Reading Time: 2 minutes

South Africa has recorded 2 320 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number to 1 496 439.  In a statement, the Department of Health has also reported 165 new COVID-19 related deaths.

SA’s latest stats:

The provincial breakdown for deaths are, Eastern Cape 15, Free State 22, Gauteng 76, KwaZulu- Natal 14, Limpopo 0, Mpumalanga 4, North West 0, Northern Cape 9 and Western Cape 25.

This brings the total number of deaths to 48 478 deaths.  The recoveries now stand at 1 399 829, representing a recovery rate of 93,5%.

The cumulative number of tests conducted to date is 8 772 743 with 35 413 new tests recorded since the last report.

The stats come as South Africa is rolling out the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine. 80 000 doses of the vaccine landed at the OR Tambo International Airport last night and are being distributed across the country for frontline healthcare workers.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize and President Cyril Ramaphosa have both been vaccinated at the Khayelitsha District Hospital in the Western Cape.

Mkhize says talks with vaccine manufacturers are progressing well and the government is confident it will manage to secure the required number of vaccine doses to reach its goal of vaccinating 40 million people by the end of the year.

“We are expecting between now and the end of four weeks we should at least be able to reach about 500 000 doses that we should be able to receive. They will be coming in waves week by week. We will actually be vaccinating at the same time running an implementation study.  We are going to continue the observations of all of those who will be vaccinated. We are anticipating also that there will be additional doses that will come from Pfizer within the next months. We are expecting about half a million of those doses by June.  We have a commitment by Pfizer of about seven million doses.”

 

Author

MOST READ