Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has announced that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 2 415 up from Monday’s 2 272.
Below is a breakdown of the latest COVID19 cases in SA:
He made the announcement at the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg where China has donated personal protective equipment to South Africa. Gauteng has 909 cases, followed by Western Cape with 643 cases .
South Africa has so far conducted more than 87 000 coronavirus tests.
“We believe we are now seeing a lot more of the testing that is coming from the public sector, ” says Mkhize.
As at today, the total number of confirmed #COVID19 cases in South Africa is 2415. pic.twitter.com/SkLINx1vjI
— Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) April 14, 2020
Economic impact
Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago says the extension of the lockdown period is expected to have a severe impact on the economy, with an expected increase in job losses.
His comments follow a unanimous decision by the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee to once again cut interest rates by one-percentage-point for the second time in less than a month.
This brings down the repo rate to 4.25%, the lowest rate ever recorded.
“South Africa’s lockdown has been extended by an additional fourteen days, bringing the total lockdown period to 35 days. Both the supply and demand side of this extension reduces growth and deepen it as businesses stay shut for longer and households with income spend less,” says Kganyago.
“This will likely increase job losses with further consequences for aggregate demand. The impact will be particularly severe for small businesses and individuals with earnings in the informal sector.”
In this video, reaction to South African Reserve Bank emergency interest rate cut:
