The number of confirmed cases increased by 385 since Friday and seven more people have died.
South Africa now has a total of 6336 confirmed Covid-19 cases, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize announced on Saturday, 2 May 2020.
This is an increase of 385 new infections from Friday and also the biggest 24-hour jump in Covid-19 cases thus far.
The country has seen a steady rise in numbers during the past two weeks.
The number of positive cases in SA has risen as follows over the past two weeks:
- 251 new infections announced on Saturday, 18 April
- 124 new infections announced on Sunday, 19 April
- 142 new infections announced on Monday, 20 April
- 165 new infections announced on Tuesday, 21 April
- 170 new infections announced on Wednesday, 22 April
- 318 new infections announced on Thursday, 23 April
- 267 new infections announced on Friday, 24 April.
- 141 new confirmed cases on Saturday, 25 April
- 185 new confirmed cases on Sunday, 26 April
- 247 new confirmed cases on Monday, 27 April
- 203 new confirmed cases on Tuesday, 28 April
- 354 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, 29 April
- 297 new confirmed cases on Thursday, 30 April
- 304 new confirmed cases on Friday, 1 May
- 385 new confirmed cases on Saturday, 2 May.
To date, a total of 230 686 COVID-19 tests have been conducted of which 13 164 were done in the last 24 hours. This is the highest number of tests done in a 24-hour cycle to date.
Seven more deaths have also been recorded bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the country to 123. The seven new deaths are from the Western Cape and Free State provinces.
The number of deaths announced over the past two weeks:
- +2 deaths on Saturday, 18 April
- +2 deaths on Sunday, 19 April
- +4 deaths on Monday, 20 April
- +0 deaths on Tuesday, 21 April
- +7 deaths on Wednesday, 22 April
- +10 deaths on Thursday, 23 April
- +4 deaths on Friday, 24 April.
- +7 deaths on Saturday, 25 April
- +1 deaths on Sunday, 26 April
- +3 deaths on Monday, 27 April
- +3 deaths on Tuesday, 28 April
- +10 deaths on Wednesday, 29 April
- +0 deaths on Thursday, 30 April
- +13 deaths on Friday, 1 May
- + 7 deaths on Saturday, 2 May.
According to data released by the Department of Health, a total of 2549 recoveries have been recorded to date.
The Western Cape, which is now the epicentre of the outbreak in South Africa, has a total of 2700 positive cases. The province is followed by Gauteng which recorded 1598 positive cases at the time of going to press.
The following confirmed Covid-19 cases have been detected in each province, according to the data released on Saturday:
- Western Cape: 2700 cases
- Gauteng: 1598 cases
- KwaZulu-Natal: 1051 cases
- Eastern Cape: 732 cases
- Limpopo: 36 cases
- Mpumalanga: 40 cases
- North West: 35 cases
- Northern Cape: 23 cases
- Free State: 121 cases.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has praised South Africa on more than one occasion for the country’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Globally the Covid-19 cases surpassed 3.4 million infections on Saturday, with just over 240 000 Covid-19-related deaths reported.
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