Covid-19 Claims 52 More Lives, Total Deaths At 481 In SA

Fifty-two more people have died from the coronavirus in South Africa, bringing the national death toll to 481.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has also confirmed the number of people who’ve tested positive for the virus has risen to 23,615.

South Africa is preparing to move to level three lockdown next week, meaning schools will be reopening along with many more sectors of the struggling economy.

#Covid_19 Statistics in South Africs as at 25 May 2020. pic.twitter.com/ZyTXHzIous

— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) May 25, 2020

Of those new fatalities, 49 have been recorded in the Western Cape alone.

The province accounts for over half of all COVID-19 cases in the country.

Premier Alan Winde said 554 people are in hospital;It 139 of them are in ICU or high care.

Winde said more than 124,000 tests had been completed, which he said represented a 400% increase in the number of tests conducted since 25 April.

However, he is concerned about the backlog in the processing of tests.

Winde said the backlog in the Western Cape had now grown to approximately 18,000 tests.

“It’s very difficult because testing is your ability to measure and gives you the ability to manage. We have written to the president and engaged with the minister of health on this issue.”

Meanwhile, the Tygerberg district remains the highest in the province with 2,311, followed by Khayelitsha with 1,940.

As of today, the total number of confirmed #COVID19 cases in South Africa is 23 615, the total number of deaths is 481 and total recoveries is 11 917. pic.twitter.com/d0emLllSCR

— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) May 25, 2020

EWN