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As of Monday, South Africa has recorded a total of 639,362 Covid-19 cases, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced.
The country has also recorded 115 more Covid-19-related deaths: 25 from KwaZulu-Natal, 5 from Gauteng, 12 from Eastern Cape, 7 from Free State, 10 from North West, 13 from Western Cape, and 43 from Limpopo. This brings the total number of Covid-19-related deaths to 15,004.
“We extend our condolences to the loved ones of the deceased and we thank the healthcare workers who treated the deceased patients. Our recoveries now stand at 566,555, which translates to a recovery rate of 88.6%, ”said Mkhize.
Below is the provincial breakdown:
Source: Department of Health.
Source: Department of Health.
Spain exceeds 500,000 virus cases: Ministry of Health
The total number of coronavirus cases in Spain has surpassed half a million, data from the Health Ministry showed on Monday, as the government struggled to contain an increase in infections in one of the worst affected countries in Europe.
The country of around 47 million people has recorded 525,549 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 29,516 related deaths, since its first case was diagnosed on Jan. 31 on the remote Canary Island of La Gomera, the ministry said.
This gives Spain a per capita infection rate roughly double that of France and Italy, according to an AFP tally based on official data.
Spain was one of the worst hit countries when the coronavirus hit Europe this year before one of the world’s tightest lockdowns helped reduce the spread of the outbreak.
But infections have risen since lockdown measures were completely removed in late June, the rise in infections often attributed to the return of nightlife and group activities.
During the last two weeks, the country has registered an average of 7,000 to 8,000 new cases per day, around a third of them in the Community of Madrid.
But the death rate is well below that recorded at the height of the health crisis in late March and April, when nearly 900 deaths were reported per day, as the median age of new infections dropped to around 40.
Asymptomatic cases also account for a much higher proportion of positive results, largely due to an increase in testing.
“The situation is much more favorable but we are still in an ascending phase,” the emergency coordinator of the Ministry of Health, Fernando Simón, told reporters.
The surge in infections comes as Spain is reopening its schools after they closed in March, and some parents say they are afraid to send their children to classes.
The government has implemented several measures to curb the risk of infections in schools, including requiring the use of masks for anyone six years and older and the need to wash their hands frequently.
Last month he ordered the closure of nightclubs and cocktail bars and reduced the hours of operation of restaurants to try to stem the increase in infections.
The government expects the tourism-dependent country’s economy to contract 9.2 percent this year under the weight of the pandemic.
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