The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has risen to 3034. This is 251 up from the previous figure. The number of fatalities stands at 52. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize made the announcement at a media briefing on Saturday.
“As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases has gone up to 3034 and this comes out of a total of 108 021 tests that have been conducted to date. Gauteng still has the largest number of people who are positive. The number is 1101. Western Cape is next at 836,” says Mkhize.
In this video below, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize addresses the media:
The Western Cape government says it does not rule out the possibility of cremating people who have died due to the coronavirus, should the need arises.
Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo says it’s because of the unique nature of COVID-19.
She says cremation are widely used in overseas countries, and added that the contagious nature of the coronavirus, can change funeral traditions.
“Of course! Although in South Africa, we don’t have as much compared at this stage, internationally, 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.”
Possible significant spike in cases post lockdown…
Epidemiologist and infectious diseases specialist Professor Salim Abdool Karim, who also chairs government’s advisory committee on COVID-19 says his team is using technology built for the 2010 soccer world cup to fight COVID-19. He says the technology created by the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research, uses a data collection method to track community-based COVID-19 cases.
Speaking on SABC News earlier Karim predicted that COVID-19 cases will spike significantly post the lockdown:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says while some countries in Europe and North America are now starting to plan how to ease social restrictions, there’s been a spike in COVID-19 cases in Africa. A trend the organisation describes as worrying.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the remarks during a media briefing on Friday.
He says in the past week there has been a 51% increase in the number of reported cases Africa and a 60% rise in the number of reported deaths.
“With the current challenge of obtaining testing kits, it’s likely that the real numbers are higher than reported. With WHO support, most countries in Africa now have the capacity to test for COVID-19, but there are still significant gaps in access to testing kits. We’re working with partners to fill those gaps and help countries find the virus,” Dr Ghebreyesus says.
According to the WHO chief, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced on Friday that more than 1 million tests for COVID-19 will be rolled out across the continent starting next week.
A move he has welcomed, saying strengthening and supporting African institutions like the Africa CDC will help now and for the future.
“In addition to tests, we’re also working hard to accelerate the development, production & equitable distribution of a #COVID19 vaccine,” Dr Ghebreyesus says.
Egypt confirmed 188 new cases ofthe novel coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the total to 3,032,according to a health ministry statement.
Nineteen new deaths caused by the illness were reported,raising the total to 224.
Egypt has imposed a night curfew since March 25 and willhalt public transport on Monday during a public holiday in aneffort to contain the spread of the virus. -additional reporting by Reuters
Below is a Live Tracking of the cases, death toll and other information, updated daily:
