Man with prostate cancer becomes SA's 13th Covid-19 death

A Durban man has become SA's 13th confirmed Covid-19 related death.

Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said on Tuesday that the man died at Durban's Parklands Hospital. He said the man had “stage 4 prostate cancer”.

Mkhize also confirmed that the number of Covid-19 cases in SA had risen to 1,749.

On his official Twitter account, Mkhize said he was also worried about the situation at another private Durban hospital, St Augustine's.

He said that 66 people had tested positive at the hospital “in the past few days”.

“About 48 of them are staff. The provincial [health] department is engaging the hospital, with a view to closing parts of the hospital down.

“We hope the fumigation process will start soon there. We have also assigned specialists there. We must always be on the lookout. The infection can seep in from any institution. We must now trace all the contacts. It is a matter of serious concern and we are dealing with it,” he said.

Mkhize was speaking at an event where businessman Patrice Motsepe donated health-care equipment, including 200,000 surgical masks.