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- South Africa officially surpasses the one million mark for Covid-19 cases.
- This after a little more than 9,000 new cases were registered on Sunday.
- The first case of Covid-19 reported in the country was on March 5.
South Africa has passed the one million case mark for total Covid-19 cases since March, with 9,502 new infections announced Sunday night.
According to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, as of December 27, the total number of people infected with Covid-19 amounts to 1 004 413.
In addition, another 214 deaths bring the total number of people who have died from the virus or related complications to 26,735.
Recoveries currently stand at 844,874, which translates to a recovery rate of 84.1%.
The first case of Covid-19 in the country was reported on March 5.
At the time, Mkhize said that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases had confirmed a positive case of Covid-19 in KwaZulu-Natal.
He added that the patient was a 38-year-old man who had traveled to Italy with his wife. They were part of a group of 10 people.
Later in March, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced strict nationwide lockdown restrictions.
READ | KZN Healthcare System ‘Paralyzed’ As Paramedics Fight Covid-19 Overflow
As of Dec. 26, the country was in the world’s top 20 for both total cases and total deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University panel.
On Wednesday, Mkhize said the increases indicated the virus continued to spread exponentially, faster than the first wave, adding that the peak would be exceeded in the next few days, News24 reported.
He warned South Africans that the government would need to review current restrictions and consider new measures.
Mkhize added that it would be important to assess the situation in the provinces and identify the hotspots, so that they could make recommendations based on the findings and results of what had been implemented in the hotspots that have been identified so far.
Earlier on Sunday, News24 reported that the National Coronavirus Command Council was due to meet on Sunday amid calls from hospitals and healthcare workers for more severe restrictions.
Doctors, nurses, medical organizations and Trade unions All have sounded the alarm, raising concerns about a health system under severe pressure.
Hospital staff are overloaded, while hospitals, both private and public, are at or near full capacity.
Last week, Netcare and Mediclinic announced that they would limit surgeries.
READ ALSO | Covid-19: Netcare suspends some surgeries, limits visitors across the country
There is also concern that a virus mutation will have a more severe impact on those infected, although this has yet to be confirmed by official research.
Speaking during a briefing earlier this month, Mkhize assured South Africans that there was no need to panic.
“It is important to reiterate that while this mutation is cause for concern, there is no reason to panic,” he said at the time.
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