Photo: Flickr / GovernmentZA
COVID-19 has killed 14 law enforcement officers, reveals Cele
According to Cele, 14 of the South Africans who have succumbed to COVID-19 are law enforcement officers.
Photo: Flickr / GovernmentZA
Police Minister Bheki Cele says over a dozen law enforcement officers have died from complications related to COVID-19 since the first case was reported in South Africa back in March.
As of Saturday night, the country had recorded a total of 65 736 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with deaths at 1 423.
Law enforcement on the frontline
With law enforcement at the forefront of the fight against the spread of the pandemic, over a thousand officers have been infected with 14 succumbing to the virus, according to Cele.
“We as the South African police, as you know, we are in the frontline and we still suffer. We’ve got about 1 685 members nationally that have been affected, unfortunately, a big part of them are in the Western Cape at 1 034. Here in Gauteng, we’ve got 119, in the Eastern Cape 186, KZN we’ve got 53 with 14 deaths altogether, and we are saluting those that are dying on the frontline, trying to defend and to make sure that all South Africans are safe,” says Cele.
Bheki Cele
[JUST IN ] 1685 @SAPoliceService members have tested positive from #COVID19 The police service has lost 14 members to the virus. pic.twitter.com/0mOCNW9aYx
— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) June 13, 2020
Comorbidities a factor in COVID-19 deaths
The Western Cape is the heaviest affected province in terms of COVID-19 caseload, with over 60% of of the total cases recorded in the province.
The province also accounts for 71% of the death toll, with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, HIV, obesity and asthma/chronic respiratory disease playing a big part in fatalities.
The vast majority of those who have died are people aged 40 and above.
Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize is expected to give out another update on Sunday night.
Coronavirus mortality breakdown
Deaths and recoveries per province
| Province | Deaths | Recoveries |
| Eastern Cape | 217 | 4 559 |
| Free State | 9 | 189 |
| Gauteng | 81 | 3 075 |
| KwaZulu Natal | 64 | 1 810 |
| Limpopo | 4 | 185 |
| Mpumalanga | 1 | 116 |
| North West | 5 | 128 |
| Northern Cape | 1 | 52 |
| Western Cape | 1 041 | 26 736 |
| Total | 1 423 | 36 850 |
Age destribution
| Age | Deaths | Percentage |
| 0-9 | 3 | 0,2 |
| 10-19 | 4 | 0,3 |
| 20-29 | 21 | 1,5 |
| 30-39 | 85 | 5,9 |
| 40-49 | 179 | 12,6 |
| 50-59 | 346 | 24,3 |
| 60-69 | 387 | 27,2 |
| 70-79 | 249 | 17,5 |
| 80-89 | 111 | 7,8 |
| 90-99 | 30 | 2,1 |
| Uknown | 8 | 0,6 |
