SA confirmed COVID-19 cases rise to 4 564, death toll now at 87

The number of South African coronavirus confirmed cases in South Africa has risen to 4 564. One person has died from the virus, pushing the COVID-19 death toll to 87. The latest death stems from the Western Cape.

In a statement, Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize says they conducted 168 643 tests to date, of which 7 639 of them were done in the last 24 hours.

In the video below, is a report on the rising number of cases:

Gauteng still has the highest number of confirmed cases in the country at 1 331. But the Western Cape has the highest COVID-19 related deaths with the death toll now standing at 32.

Statement further welcomes the arrival of over 200 Cuban Health Professionals who are expected in the country around midnight.

“The strong social and political solidarity and support that exists between the two countries have been seen in various development programmes. As the Department of Health, we have continuously enjoyed this support through the ongoing medical training programme of South African students in Cuba,” reads the statement.

In this video below Cuban Health Professionals team to arrive:

Western Cape considering cremating people who died from COVID-19

Western Cape Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said last Saturday that the province has not rule out the possibility of cremating people who have died due to COVID-19 should the need arises. Mbombo said that this is due to the unique nature of the unique nature of the virus.

She said the contagious nature of COVID-19 could see to the change of funeral traditions.

“Of course although in South Africa we don’t have as much compared at this stage to international where people are dying in numbers like in the US, but there might be a time, as I said we don’t know how the disease will evolve. There might be a time where either cremation or mass burial which we have seen in New York City, but we are not there at that level yet.”

Fight against COVID-19 in Limpopo

Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha said in mid-April that they hope to reach about one million households in their COVID-19 screening and testing campaign. Mathabatha said 10 000 volunteers, including community health workers and caregivers, will form part of the campaign.

“We don’t want to tell our people to test elsewhere because what we want to do is to go to various households; to visit the households. We have about 900 000 households that we want to visit. Because Limpopo has got 1.6 million households, we want to make sure at least a million or 900 000 is visited.”

Limpopo MEC for Transport and Community Safety Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya expressed concern on the high number of people, mostly in the rural areas, who are continuing to flout the nationwide lockdown regulations.