Early indication of Covid-19 decline in Gauteng, Eastern Cape – Mkhize
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says government remains hopeful that the Covid-19 infection rate will decline soon.
South Africa is preparing for its Covid-19 peak, which is expected to hit the country in August
He was speaking during virtual national summit looking at South Africa's response to the Covid-19 pandemic on Friday morning.
Mkhize said while the current surge in infections is not unexpected, the recovery rate of more than 60% is encouraging.
"It has increased to 64% while it was 47% three weeks ago, indicating more people have overcome the infection than those who get the infection and test positive.”
To date the country has 482 169 confirmed cases, with 309 601 recoveries and 7 812 deaths.
Mkhize said data shows that the Western Cape’s infection rate reached a plateau over the past two months.
"Whilst early indications of promising decline are observed in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng. Other provinces, of course, are still driving the increasing numbers.
"For these reasons, we have to intensify the non-pharmaceutical interventions and emphasise behavioural change to force the reduction of new infections in all provinces," said Mkhize.
Listen to the minister below:
WHO: SA's Covid-19 situation 'can be turned around'
The country had 482 169 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with 309 601 recoveries and 7 812 deaths on Thursday. The WHO's director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus reassured the government that the situation can be turned around amid the spike in cases.