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By IOL Reporter 
5h ago
Cape Town / Pretoria – South Africa recorded 7,882 new cases of Covid-19 and 154 more deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize confirmed on Saturday.
The cumulative number of cases in the country is now 852,965.
To date, 23,106 people have died as a result of the coronavirus.
Case data by province
The second wave is now firmly established, driven by rising infection rates in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, Mkhize said.
Data testing
During the last 24 hours, 40,211 tests were carried out, bringing the total number of tests since the start of the pandemic to 5,819,755.
Deaths and recoveries
Of the 154 deaths reported on Saturday, 97 were from the Eastern Cape, 31 from the Western Cape, 11 from Gauteng, 10 from KwaZulu-Natal and 5 from the Free State.
A total of 760 118. people have recovered from the virus.
Concerns about rising infections as the holiday season approaches
Mkhize on Saturday urged young people to protect their elders from the coronavirus by observing pandemic protocols amid the current second wave of the virus ahead of the Christmas holidays.
The minister made the request while addressing a virtual webinar to mark the International Day of Universal Health Coverage in Pretoria.
Mkhize said that young people were now the main carriers of the second pandemic wave due to their mobility, adding that South Africans must do everything possible to protect each other from the spread of the virus.
“As we face the heavy storm approaching us, I must take the opportunity to appeal to the public, particularly our youth, to be fully aware of their agency and the role they must play in protecting everyone from the devastation of Covid-19. ,” he said.
He reminded the public that socialization was no longer treated as usual during the pandemic that has killed nearly 23,000 people since it broke out in the country in March this year.
“We must choose between life, illness or death,” as the country faces the devastating second wave of Covid-19 infections, Mkhize said.
He added: “If we choose life, then we must realize that we have to make sacrifices during this holiday season. It will not be possible to celebrate the holidays in the way we are used to ”.
“Now we must understand that the frivolities generally associated with the holiday season must give way to the things that really matter: family and friends, mutual care, physical and spiritual rejuvenation, and preservation of the spirit of ubuntu (humanity). , ”Mkhize told the virtual meeting.
He said: “Therefore, we must all take action to save lives and protect everyone.
“We must commit to small gatherings, drink responsibly, disinfect or wash hands and surfaces frequently, social distancing, and we must never compromise the correct and consistent use of masks.
African News Agency and IOL
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