MEC Bandile Masuku and Minister Zweli Mkhize visited Nasrec as part of monitoring state of readiness as COVID-19 cases increase in Gauteng and to support staff working during pandemic, 20 July 2020. Picture:Nigel Sibanda
As of Tuesday, the cumulative total of Covid-19 cases is 821 889 with 4 011 new cases identified since the last report.
A cumulative 5 640 042 tests have been completed, of which 28 127 have been conducted since the last report, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced.
“Regrettably, 183 deaths have been reported: Eastern Cape 82, Free State 20, Gauteng 11, KwaZulu-Natal 13, Northern Cape 7 and Western Cape 50, which brings the total to 22 432 deaths.
“We extend our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the healthcare workers that treated the deceased patients,” Mkhize said.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng department of health says it has prioritised the contact tracing of all the students from the province who recently attended the Matric Rage 2020 event hosted in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal.
“[The department] can confirm that over 1300 students coming from the Gauteng province took part in the much-publicised super-spreader Rage event which resulted in a number of participants testing positive for Covid-19,” the department said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We reiterate the call made by the national Ministry of Health that all who went to the Rage events need to quarantine themselves for 14 days and go for testing as a matter of urgency,” the department stated, adding that those that tested positive would need to isolate for a mandatory 10 days.
“It must be pointed out that family contacts of those that test positive must also go for testing and must go into quarantine,” the department added.
The department echoed the national Department of Health’s warnings that large social gatherings such as weddings, year-end functions, funerals and religious activities, as well as places such as shopping malls and restaurants, including establishments that disregard lockdown regulations, could become super-spreaders of the coronavirus.
Health authorities have called on members of the public to continue adhering to non-pharmaceutical interventions by maintaining safe physical distances, wearing of masks and hand washing regularly.
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