Four months of lockdown: one shock graphic shows SA's dramatic Covid-19 surge

There are now 445,433 Covid-19 cases and 6,769 deaths in SA as the country marks four months since it went into lockdown on March 27 in an effort to flatten the curve of the coronavirus.

The lockdown measures were implemented three weeks after the country's first Covid-19 case was confirmed on March 5.

Worldwide engineering recently shared a data visualisation of how SA has managed its fight against Covid-19  since April. It paints a shocking picture of how the country has been thrust from being among the least affected countries globally to one of the most affected countries alongside the US, Brazil, India and Russia.

The data used by the site is from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). 

SA is now the fifth most affected country globally, according to Worldometers, the data source which tracks and updates real time Covid-19 figures.

Here is how the numbers have surged:

First month of lockdown - April 27: There were 4,793 positive cases and 90 deaths. Gauteng was the Covid-19 epicentre, followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Second month of lockdown - May 27: Covid-19 cases increased to 25,937 and deaths to 552. The Western Cape was now the most affected province, with 16,893 positive cases and 391 deaths, followed by Gauteng, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

Third month of lockdown - June 27: There were 131,800 positive cases and 2,413 deaths. The Western Cape, Gauteng, and the Eastern Cape had the most infections and deaths. Lockdown was eased at the beginning of June, allowing for most economic activity to resume and for schools to reopen. Authorities said the spike in infections was expected. 

Fourth month of lockdown - July 27: There are now 445,433 Covid-19 cases and 6,769 deaths. Gauteng is the epicentre of infections. 

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