Some 93 South Africans died overnight from complications related to the coronavirus pandemic, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Friday.
With these latest deaths, the country has now lost 56,170 lives since the first case was reported in the country in March 2020, Mkhize said.
According to the minister, the last 24 hours have also seen a sustained surge in the number of cases as the country recorded 4,424 new Covid-19 infections — bringing the cumulative number of cases to 1,649,977 since the outbreak.
Some 24 hours earlier, South Africa recorded 4,623 new Covid-19 infections and 102 deaths, he added, as he expressed fears of the country embarking on a third wave.
To date, some 1,548 092 patients have recovered from the disease, he pointed out, and this translated to a recovery rate of 93.8%, while the active cases now stand at 45,715.
Meanwhile, the South African cabinet has expressed delight in the Covid-19 vaccines rollout which has seen the vaccination of 828,204 people, with 348,436 of them having received the double-dose Pfizer vaccine under the second phase of the country’s vaccination rollout programme.
The first phase of the vaccination programme used the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine before switching to the Pfizer one two weeks ago.
Cabinet noted that phase two of the vaccine rollout programme commenced smoothly, as thousands of eligible people had vaccinated with no problems.
“All vaccination sites across South Africa are ready to assist those who have been allocated a vaccination slot,” Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said when she briefed media on the Cabinet’s meeting.
NM/jn/APA