The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases stand at 1585, this is an increase of 80 from the previously reported cases.
The provincial breakdown: Gauteng 693, Western Cape 433 , KwaZulu-Natal 232 , Free State 85 , North West 11, Mpumalanga 18, Limpopo 18, Eastern Cape 25 , Northern Cape 7 and Unallocated 6.
The total number of COVID-19 tests conducted to date is 53 937.
The report from KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu suggest that the province has 11 confirmed COVID-19 cases linked to St Augustine’s Hospital, in Durban.
Furthermore, three of the deceased patients from KwaZulu-Natal had been admitted at the hospital.
The COVID-19 positive cases include patients, health workers and other staff members.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health agreed that the sections of the hospital affected should be closed and no new patient admissions be permitted.
This is a precautionary measure to allow for a thorough identification of areas within the hospital where there may have been infection control lapses.
The areas that were exposed to positive patients are also being disinfected.
At this stage more than 150 tests have been conducted within the hospital and contact tracing is underway.
As part of intensifying the contact tracing and testing process, MEC Simelane-Zulu has also requested that Netcare avails a list of its patients that were exposed to the hospital as from the beginning of March.
“We therefore make a public announcement that if you were a patient at St Augustine’s Hospital from March 1 2020 to date, we request that you contact the KZN Department of Health.”
In this video, Health Minister, Dr. Zweli Mkhize confirms the number of coronavirus deaths:
