COVID-19 latest: Confirmed cases in SA rise to 5 350, death toll now at 103

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, on Wednesday 29 April 2020, announced that the confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa have increased to 5 350. He also announced a new death toll of 103, which is an increase of 10. 

This is an increase of 354, as the total number of confirmed cases stood at 4 996 on Tuesday 28 April 2020. Mkhize said:

“This is the highest number of cases in a 24-hour cycle recorded to date, and represents a 73% increase relative to the day before”.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize

Latest COVID-19 cases by province as of Wednesday 29 April

The following confirmed COVID-19 cases have been detected in each province as of Wednesday: 

Province	Tuesday 28 April	Wednesday 29 April
Western Cape	1 870	2.135
Gauteng	1 377	1 408
KwaZulu Natal	919	956
Eastern Cape	616	630
Free State	113	113
Mpumalanga	31	31
Limpopo	31	31
North West	29	29
Northern Cape	17	17

COVID-19 deaths

The minister also released an update pertaining death toll, with ten new cases from Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape.

Gauteng

1. An 89-year-old woman who presented shortness of breath
2. An 82-year-old woman with an underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who presented with acute renal failure and a concomitant urinary tract infection
3. An 80-year-old man who presented with fever and shortness of breath, he had underlying COPD.

Western Cape

1. An 57-year-old man presenting with fever and shortness of breath, he had underlying hypertension.
2. A 61-year-old woman who presented with flu-like symptoms and low blood oxygen; she was hypertensive
3. A 58-year-old woman who presented with fever and shortness of breath. She had poorly controlled hypertension
4. A 33-year-old woman who presented with flu-like symptoms and low blood oxygen. She was diagnosed with acute myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), and had no previously diagnosed co-morbidities.

KwaZulu-Natal

1. A 89-year-old woman who had underlying conditions of hypertension, diabetes and cardiac disease
2. A 67-year-old woman who had underlying conditions of asthma and arthritis

Eastern Cape

1. A 39-year-old woman that presented with pneumonia. She was living with HIV with tuberculosis and cryptococcal meningitis.

COVID-19 tests and screening

A total of 6 093 502 people have been screened, and a total of 197 127 tests have been conducted thus far, of which 11 630 were done in the last 24 hours.

“This is the highest number of tests done in a 24-hour period, representing a 66% increase relative to the previous day’s tally. Additionally, we have also recorded the highest COVID-positive result yield from a 24-hour cycle of testing at 3%.”

As per information shared on 28 April 2020, South Africa has 2 830 active cases, while a total of 395 patients are currently hospitalised.

COVID-19 relief

Earlier today, Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu shared an update pertaining to socio-economic relief interventions. Close to 250 000 people received food parcels to the value of R700 each.

She said that “no South African must be left hungry”, and added that food parcels are being distributed to more than 58 000 households, as part of the plan to see 250k people fed by the end of April.

Furthermore, the National Departments allocated a sum of R20 million towards the distribution of food parcels, while an additional sum of R23 million was received from the Solidarity Fund.

Read more here – COVID-19 relief: Close to 250k people received food parcels, says Minister Zulu