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Workers in protective gear work at the Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg.
Luba Lesolle, Gallo Images
- South Africa recorded a record 20,063 deaths in a single week.
- The record is 131% above the expected deaths.
- There were 55,676 deaths in December 2020.
South Africa has recorded its biggest increase in a week in the number of deaths.
The latest South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) report on the number of deaths showed that from December 30, 2020 to January 5 this year, 20,063 deaths were recorded.
According to the SAMRC, this figure exceeded the predicted number of deaths by 131%, resulting in an excess of 10,907 deaths from natural causes among people.
This week, Internal Affairs also reported that its death registration numbers showed a sharp increase. The increase in deaths was attributed to the second wave of the coronavirus that is passing through the country.
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said this week that the department had seen an increase of around 44% in the number of death certificates issued in December.
He said that by December 2020, the department recorded 55,676 deaths compared to 38,620 deaths in December 2019. On Wednesday, 806 new deaths from Covid-19 were recorded, increasing the number of those who died to 35,140.
The SAMRC report showed a slow increase in deaths in the Eastern Cape.
The province registered an excess of 2,298 natural deaths during the first week of the year compared to 2,228 the previous week.
This, he said, may show the first signs of a turning point with the second wave.
“The number of deaths in the second wave is considerably higher than the number of excess natural deaths that occurred at the peak of the first wave in the province in 1597. Natural deaths in Nelson Mandela Bay have continued to decline and the second wave in Buffalo City has changed, “said the SAMRC.
All provinces saw an increase in the number of excess deaths.
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The Western Cape experienced an increase in the number of deaths in excess to 1,432 from 1,244 the previous week.
The report said: “Natural deaths in the Western Cape have continued to rise rapidly, with an excess of 1,432 natural deaths during New Years week. There are signs of a slowdown in the increase, but the number of deaths has not yet changed. and it is more than double the peak of the first wave. The number of natural deaths in the city of Cape Town has also increased rapidly with a record number of excess deaths. “
KwaZulu-Natal recorded an excess of 3 389 deaths during New Years week. This was more than double the first wave peak of 1,306 deaths.
Gauteng saw increases in the number of deaths reported in the city of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and the city of Tshwane, each with an excess of around 500 deaths.
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