South Africa’s number of coronavirus infections has increased to 709, a 28% increase from the previous day which was 554.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said, “Right now we have actually increased from yesterday, we are now at 709 cases”, during an interview on the state broadcaster SABC.
He added that he is particularly concerned about the 50 people who tested positive after attending the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast by the Divine Restoration Ministries in Bloemfontein on March 10.
South Africa now becomes the first country on the African continent to have the highest number of infections, which has now placed a 21-day lockdown with an effect from Thursday.
This means that most South Africans, aside from those in essential services, will be forced to stay at home, and only leave for medical attention, or to go buy groceries.
So far, South Africa only has 3000 intensive care beds available, which will be just inadequate for the up to 500,000 people who might require hospitalization due to the virus, News24 reported.
Some of the African countries that have not yet recorded COVID-19 cases include; Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Burundi, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Despite having so many confirmed cases, South Africa has not yet reported any death cases and as for patients who were tested positive for Covid-19.
They are in intensive care and were admitted to hospitals to undergo assessments, says the Health Department.
Zweli still believes that 60% to 70% of South Africans will get the coronavirus of which only about 20% of those will be serious cases.
Cases across Africa are now above 2,400 with Libya announcing its first case, 44 of the continent's 54 countries now have the virus.
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