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News > South Africa

South Africa: Health Minister Warns on COVID-19 Cases Increase

  • Passengers in Pienaarspoort-Pretoria train. Pienaarspoort, South Africa. July 1, 2020.

    Passengers in Pienaarspoort-Pretoria train. Pienaarspoort, South Africa. July 1, 2020. | Photo: Twitter/ @Makhosini

Published 9 July 2020
Opinion

Gauteng, South Africa’s most densely populated province, authorities have recorded 81,546 COVID-19 cases, the highest contagion toll there.

South Africa's Health Minister Zweli Mkhize warned about a hospital occupancy increase despite the optimistic outlook on COVID-19 development.

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South Africa's government enforced a strict lockdown and virus outbreak tracing through extensive screening as precautionary measures. Nevertheless, tests and supplies scarcity limits cases detention.

With a 58 million population, then daily new cases average went from 1,000 to 8,000 from May to July. In Gauteng, South Africa's most densely populated province, authorities recorded 81,546 COVID-19 cases, the highest contagion toll. 

"It's no longer a matter of announcing numbers of confirmed cases. We are now at a point where it's our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, close friends and comrades that are infected," Mkhize said.

On top of this situation, the inhabitants of the most impoverished region cannot comply with social distancing given housing overcrowding and other livelihood limitations.

As part of the virus's economic harm, the government forecasts dismissals, which could lead to a 1.8 million job loss, and the economy contracting by a third.

As for Friday, South Africa health authorities recorded 238,339 COVID-19 cases, 3,720 deaths, and 113,061 recoveries from the virus.

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