Less than two months after South Africa confirmed its first case of the coronavirus, the number of infections in the country has now risen past the 3,000 -mark with 52 COVID-19 related deaths.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced the updated figures through a virtual late-night briefing on Saturday.
The health minister stressed the importance of adhering to lockdown regulations while revealing the country had recorded 251 new cases – marking South Africa’s highest single-day jump in infections.
This takes the number of patients in the country to 3,034.
Although more than 108,000 people have been tested for the virus, the minister said more can still be done.
Mkhize said thousands of beds have already been made available for isolating those who cannot quarantine at home.
While countries around the world are scrambling for resources – Mkhize said South Africa has managed to by some time before infections reach their peak.
With more than 900,000 people screened for the virus, Gauteng remains the epicentre of the disease in the country with 1,101 infections.
This is followed by the Western Cape, now with more than 830 cases, while KwaZulu-Natal has logged over 600 infections.