Man, 51, from Bloemfontein is the sixth in Free State to die of Covid-19

The sixth person in the Free State to die of Covid-19 on May 1 was a 51-year-old male patient from Freedom Square in Bloemfontein.

He was among seven people the national department of health announced on Saturday had died of Covid-19 in the Western Cape and Free State, taking the national death toll to 123.

The Free State health department said on Sunday the man presented with underlying health conditions that are consistent with other Covid-19 deaths around the world.

He was treated and stabilised at the Pelonomi Netcare Private hospital at about 6pm on Thursday, but his condition suddenly deteriorated. He was declared dead at about 9am on May 1 and was swabbed for Covid-19.

“Results were confirmed Covid-19 positive,” provincial health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi said.

He said the province has recorded 122 cases of Covid-19, 108 of which are in Bloemfontein.

Mvambi said the province has screened 773,854 people for Covid-19. He said the province has tested 8,253 people for Covid-19.

“Screening and testing is to be intensified in the province to ensure that we reach out to all the areas because the fact is that Covid-19 is not a selective burden of disease, it is likely to be found everywhere,” Mvambi said.