Cape Town – South Africa’s Covid-19 recovery rate improved to 85% on Wednesday, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize reported.
The number of recoveries now stand at 525 242, compared to 520 381 (84% recovery rate) yesterday.
'’As of today, a cumulative total of 615 701 confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa have been recorded.
’’Regrettably, we report 194 more Covid-19-related deaths: 57 from KwaZulu-Natal, 61 from Gauteng, 4 from Northern Cape, 12 from Eastern Cape and 60 from Western Cape,“ said Mkhize.
This brings the total number of Covid-19-related deaths to 13 502.
The total number of tests conducted to date is 3 598 973, with 20 137 new tests conducted.
Also on Wednesday, estimated excess deaths from natural causes reached 39 087 for the period between May 6 and August 18, while the Health Department reported 12 112 deaths from Covid-19.
The number of excess deaths have declined for the fourth successive week. According to the SA Medical Research Council, excess deaths are declining rapidly in some provinces and cities.
Cape Town continues to be the metro with the most excess deaths (3 741). but Johannesburg's excess deaths increased to 183 in the week ending August 18, bringing its total to 3 665.
Meanwhile, a public health expert has warned against a false sense of protection based on Covid-19 antibody test results.
Professor Jonny Myers, occupational health and public health medicine specialist at UCT, said: “If you contract the Covid-19 and your symptomatic or asymptomatic after you are diagnosed, it raises to a maximum concentration level of about three weeks after which it declines pretty rapidly. Within 30 days it can decline.”
All children attending South African schools still have to wear masks despite the World Health Organisation's new guidelines.
The global health authority released guidelines at the weekend stating that children under the age of five should not wear masks, while those aged between six and 11 should wear masks only in exceptional circumstances.
However, the Department of Basic Education is sticking to its rule that all children in schools must wear masks.
National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) staff have continued their strike despite a labour court interdict declaring it unlawful.
NHLS spokesperson Mzi Gcukumana said the strike was “sporadic in different locations”.
The NHLS warned on Tuesday that if the strike by the National Education, Health, and Allied Workers Union continued this week it would disrupt Covid-19 testing across the country.
IOL