The Department of Health in South Africa has reported 115 more COVID-19 related deaths with 1 846 new cases on Friday. This brings the total number of COVID-19 related deaths to 13 743.
According to the latest statement, 47 people died from the virus in Gauteng, 14 in KwaZulu-Natal, 10 from Eastern Cape, 10 from Western Cape, 16 from North West, and 18 deaths were recorded in Mpumalanga.
The country’s confirmed cases now stand at 620 132, with the total number of tests conducted standing at 3 632 311.
The recoveries now stand at 533 935, which translates to a recovery rate of 86%.
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COVID-19 infections
Meanwhile, officials at the World Health Organization said on Thursday, testing for COVID-19 infections and a fast turnaround for results are critical for controlling the pandemic, but broad-based population tests are not always useful.
Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO epidemiologist, said the UN agency recommended suspected cases be tested and their contacts, if feasible, likewise, but the focus should be on people with symptoms.
Mike Ryan, head of its emergencies programme, noted that broad population testing programmes absorbed a large amount of resources.
The comments come after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said this week that people exposed to COVID-19 but not symptomatic may not need to be tested, surprising doctors and politicians and prompting accusations the guidance was politically motivated. – Additional reporting by Reuters
