DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 06: Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize visits Clairwood Hospital ahead of the expected peak in the Province on August 06, 2020 in Durban, South Africa. According to a media release, the Minister will visit a few COVID-19 facilities across the province and sit down with Provincial and District management in an attempt to better understand challenges faced by the province. (Photo by Gallo Images/Darren Stewart)
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, on Thursday 6 August, announced that the confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa have risen to 538 184. This is an increase of 8 307, as the total number of confirmed cases stood at 529 877 on Wednesday 5 August.
Mkhize announced an updated death toll of 9 604. This is an increase of 306 as it stood at 9 298 on Wednesday 5 August.
A total of 3 149 807 tests have been conducted to date with 36 616 new tests reported. There have been 387 316 recoveries thus far, translating to a recovery rate of 72%.
LATEST COVID-19 CASES BY PROVINCE AS OF THURSDAY 6 AUGUST
The following confirmed COVID-19 cases have been detected in each province as of Thursday:
- Eastern Cape – 81 014 cases
- Free State – 26 123 cases;
- Gauteng – 187 631 cases;
- KwaZulu-Natal – 90 115 cases;
- Limpopo – 9 873 cases;
- Mpumalanga – 17 803 cases;
- North West – 21 044 cases;
- Northern Cape – 5 932 cases; and
- Western Cape – 98 599 cases
- Unknown – 50 cases.
This comes to a total of 538 184 confirmed cases.
COVID-19 DEATH TOLL BY PROVINCE AS OF THURSDAY
The following confirmed COVID-19-related deaths have been detected in each province as of Thursday:
- Eastern Cape – 2 033 deaths;
- Free State – 350 deaths;
- Gauteng – 2 388 deaths;
- KwaZulu-Natal – 1 116 deaths;
- Limpopo – 90 deaths;
- Mpumalanga – 139 deaths;
- North West – 109 deaths;
- Northern Cape – 54 deaths;
- Western Cape – 3 325 deaths.
LATEST RECOVERIES BY PROVINCE
Mkhize announced the latest COVID-19 recoveries as follows:
- Eastern Cape – 74 004 recoveries;
- Free State – 11 575 recoveries;
- Gauteng – 132 002 recoveries;
- KwaZulu-Natal – 53 444 recoveries;
- Limpopo – 6 876 recoveries;
- Mpumalanga – 12 290 recoveries;
- North West – 9 527 recoveries;
- Northern Cape – 3 069 recoveries; and
- Western Cape – 84 529 recoveries.
MKHIZE SAYS ALCOHOL BAN CAN’T BE LIFTED JUST YET
Mkhize, while visiting KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday, said the alcohol ban will have to remain in place for now.
He said numbers need to constantly improve and the need for hospital beds need to reduce. Mkhize also said emphatic support from ICU doctors and senior medical professionals is needed before government reconsiders lifting the ban. Until then, no booze.
“When we deal with these issues, we take a view of the situation as it changes. The first thing that ICU specialists have told us is that alcohol-induced trauma is down. When the numbers are constantly improving, and the pressure for beds is reduced, we can reconsider the alcohol ban. But we are not at that point yet,” he said.
“People can take us to court, we have no problem with that. We are doing this to save lives. There are real reasons to support the suspension of liquor. There are avoidable situations that can ease the pressure, everything else will open up when the numbers settle down – but we need more time,” he added.
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