Covid-19 update: 725 new cases bring SA’s total to 661,936, with 39 new deaths

As of Monday, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa is 661,936, with 725 new cases identified in the last 24 hours, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has announced.

The country has also recorded 39 more Covid-19 deaths: 9 from Eastern Cape, 1 from KwaZulu-Natal. 9 from Gauteng, 16 from North West and 4 from Western Cape. This brings the total number of Covid-19 deaths to 15,992.

“We extend our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the health care workers that treated the deceased patients,” said Mkhize.

Source: Health department

Mkhize has warned against complacency now that South Africa has moved to Covid-19 alert Level 1, saying containment measures remained in place as the pandemic could resurge.

“We are not out of the woods. The most important thing is we still have about 10,000 patients, people who are positive a week and we also know that there are more than the 10,000 because the numbers are much higher,” the minister said on Monday.

The World Health Organisation has commended SA for the decline in the number of new Covid-19 cases, with fewer than 2,000 cases per day compared to two months ago when around 12,000 new cases were being recorded daily.

Read more: Resurgence warning from Mkhize on day one of Level 1

(Additional reporting, Sipho Mabena)

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