Coronavirus: after a surge in cases, South Africa becomes Africa’s clear leader in infections

Name: Coronavirus: South Africa becomes continent’s clear leader in Covid-19 infections
Uploaded: 2020-07-15T23:00:15.000Z
Duration: 1 min 58 s
Description: Coronavirus: South Africa becomes continent’s clear leader in Covid-19 infections

The nation has nearly half the continent’s total confirmed Covid-19 cases and almost a third of its deaths

‘The storm is upon us,’ South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says

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Undertakers in protective personal equipment prepare for a Muslim burial at Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg on Tuesday. South Africa has become the leading coronavirus-infected nation on the African continent. Photo: AP

Jevans Nyabiage

Published: 7:00am, 16 Jul 2020Updated: 10:15pm, 16 Jul 2020

After adding more than 138,000 confirmed cases in just two weeks, South Africa has emerged as Africa’s coronavirus hotspot, accounting for nearly half of the continent’s total cases, and becoming one of the top 10 infected countries in the world.

South Africa, which in recent weeks has recorded more than 10,000 new infections a day, reported 298,292 cases as of Tuesday, as well as 4,346 coronavirus-related deaths.

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Coronavirus: South Africa becomes continent’s clear leader in Covid-19 infections

Those numbers constitute 48 per cent of the continent’s total 612,586 cases as of Tuesday, and almost a third of its 13,519 deaths, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Gauteng province – home to Johannesburg as well as the South African capital, Pretoria – has 107,070 cases, the most in the country after overtaking Western Cape province, the initial epicentre, which now has 80,199.

Authorities in Gauteng have warned that hospitals are becoming overwhelmed, as the cities are hit by widespread community transmission.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, shown at coronavirus treatment facilities in April, has called the pandemic the “greatest crisis in the history of our democracy”. Photo: Reuters

In a statement on Monday, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa termed the Covid-19 pandemic the “gravest crisis in the history of our democracy”.

Coronavirus: after a surge in cases, South Africa becomes Africa’s clear leader in infections

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} The nation has nearly half the continent’s total confirmed Covid-19 cases and almost a third of its deaths ‘The storm is upon us,’ South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says

The nation has nearly half the continent’s total confirmed Covid-19 cases and almost a third of its deaths

‘The storm is upon us,’ South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says