South Africa’s Ministry of Health reported 1,134 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday taking the national tally to 19,137 cases.
Figures released from the ministry also indicated that there were 30 new deaths raising the national death toll to 369. The number of recoveries, however, remained at 8,950 as there were no new ones recorded.
The country has now conducted 525,433 tests for the disease. South Africa was the first country in Africa to develop its own capacity to do laboratory testing.
The Western Cape Province accounts for almost two-thirds of the total cases with 12,153 cases which represents 63.5 percent. Western Cape’s death rate is also the highest, with the 235 fatalities accounting for 63.68 percent of the total.
Western Cape is followed by Gauteng and Eastern Cape Provinces which have recorded 2,453 and 2,324 cases respectively.
South Africa remains the worst affected country on the continent despite it implementing one of the fastest and strictest responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. It closed its borders and imposed a lockdown before it announced its first death from COVID-19.
