More than 30 000 people have now died of Covid-19 in SA

More than 30 000 people have now died of Covid-19 in South Africa, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Monday.

A further 434 Covid-19 related deaths were reported on Monday, bringing the cumulative number of Covid-19 related deaths to 30 011, Mkhize said.

The Eastern Cape has recorded the most number of deaths at 7716, with the Western Cape following close behind with a cumulative total of 7352 Covid-related deaths.

On Monday 157 deaths were reported in the Western Cape, 133 in the Eastern Cape, 2 in the Free State, 36 in Gauteng, 71 in KwaZulu-Natal, 7 in Limpopo, 25 in North West and 3 in the Northern Cape.

The Health Minister also reported a cumulative total of 1 113 349 Covid-19 cases identified with 12 601 new cases since the last report, representing a 33.7% positivity rate.

A cumulative total of 6 780 272 tests have been conducted with 37 419 tests conducted in the last 24 hours.

South Africa’s recoveries now stand at 911 573 at a recovery rate of 81,9%.

South Africa is battling a second wave and a new variant of the Covid-9 virus. President Cyril Ramaphosa last week imposed an adjusted level 3 lockdown to curb the spread.

On Sunday Mkhize said: “It is clear that the second wave that we are going through is affecting us to levels which are even higher than in the earlier stage.

“The only way to deal with the Covid-19 not only in South Africa but throughout the world is the provision of the immunity through the vaccination.“

Mkhize said that the country’s first main goal is to vaccinate 67 percent of the population, in order to achieve sufficient collective immunity to staunch the spread of the virus.

He said that government hoped to obtain its first vaccine doses next month but cautioned that before that can happen negotiations must be concluded with vaccine makers including Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, as well as with Russian and Chinese laboratories. AFP.