Another grim Covid-19 milestone as Mkhize confirms 50,000 deaths in SA

More than 50,000 people have died in SA from Covid-19 related illnesses.

Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize confirmed the grim milestone on Monday night. The first Covid-19 related fatality in SA was recorded on March 27 last year.

All of SA's deadliest days for Covid-19 so far came during the second wave of infections. These were:

• January 19 — 839 deaths recorded;
• January 13 — 806 deaths recorded;
• January 12 — 755 deaths recorded;
• January 27 — 753 deaths recorded; and
• January 14 — 712 deaths recorded.

Mkhize said on Monday that 84 Covid-19 related deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities to date to 50,077. Of the newly recorded deaths, 36 were in the North West, 21 were in the Western Cape, 18 were in Gauteng, six were in the Northern Cape and two in the Eastern Cape. There were no fatalities recorded in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo or Mpumalanga.

According to health department figures provided on Monday night, there were 1,513,959 confirmed coronavirus cases recorded across SA since the outbreak almost exactly a year ago. This was an increase of just 566 cases in 24 hours. The new cases come from 12,794 tests, at a positivity rate of 4.4%. 

As of Monday night, there were 32,546 active Covid-19 cases across SA — fewer than the 33,753 recorded on November 12, which was the low point before the second wave began.

To date, 1,431,336 recoveries have been recorded, at a recovery rate of 94.5%.

Mkhize also reported that 73,047 healthcare workers had been vaccinated across SA as of 6.30pm on Monday.

TimesLIVE