Deadly day in South Africa as Covid-19 cases climb whilst new data shows ages most at risk

·5 Jun 2020

South Africa suffered its deadliest 24-hour period on Thursday (4 June), as its Covid-19 death toll climbed by 56, to reach 848 casualties, health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said.

The country also reported a record jump in new Covid-19 cases – 3,267 – nearly 80% higher than its previous 24-hour total.

As many as 54 new deaths were reported in the Western Cape, prompting a visit on Friday by president Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday to assess the provincial response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Western Cape is currently the country’s epicentre accounting for nearly two-thirds of infections nationally.

📊 COVID-19 Dashboard update for the Western Cape:

🔹 Total confirmed cases – 28 082
🔹 Total recoveries – 16 433
🔹 Total tests done – 186 236

View the dashboard ➡️ https://t.co/AgbOmel0FP. For a comprehensive daily update, see Premier Alan Winde’s statement later today. pic.twitter.com/ypJzUjQUEN

— Western Cape Gov (@WesternCapeGov) June 5, 2020

Dr Mkhize said that recoveries to date are 21,31, which translates to a recovery rate of 52.24%.

The biggest proportion of people dying of coronavirus have underlying conditions, the government has said, while its data shows that age is a big factor.

More than 80% of recorded deaths in the country are among people aged 50 and older, while more than half of reported deaths have occurred in people aged 50 to 70.

Province	Deaths	Recoveries
Western Cape	651	14 917
Eastern Cape	95	2 460
KwaZulu Natal	55	1 260
Gauteng	33	2 222
Free State	9	128
Limpopo	3	146
North West	1	59
Northern Cape	1	33
Mpumalanga	0	86
Total	848	21 311