South Africa has experienced its first coronavirus-related deaths, according to the Department of Health, as confirmed cases hit over 1,000.<\/p>\n
The two deaths occurred in the Western Cape, one at a private hospital and the other at a public hospital.<\/p>\n
Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said that more information would follow soon.<\/p>\n
“We will give more details later on, when we announce the latest confirmed Covid-19 cases, which have increased from yesterday’s number and have now tipped the 1,000 mark,” he said.<\/p>\n
The news of the first Covid-19 deaths in the country come on the first day of a 21-day lockdown initiated to curb the spread of the virus.<\/p>\n
Alan Winde, premier of the Western Cape called it a very sombre day. He said that the coronavirus can affect any person, noting that the deceased included a 28 year-old female, and 48 year-old female.<\/p>\n
He called on South Africans to follow the lockdown orders, and to adhere to the heightened rules.<\/p>\n
The number of confirmed cases are expected to increase over the next weeks as government moves to rapidly ramp up testing capacity and identify hard-hit areas.<\/p>\n
Globally, there have been 532,926 reported cases, with 24,093 deaths. The US has overtaken China as the country with the most infections.<\/p>\n
For the next three weeks South Africans will be forced to remain at home, as businesses across the country shut down, and only essential services and employees have been exempted.<\/p>\n
For the period of lockdown: every person is confined to his or her place of residence, unless strictly for the purpose of performing an essential service, obtaining an essential good or service, collecting a social grant, or seeking emergency, life saving, or chronic medical attention.<\/p>\n
Movement means entering or leaving a place of residence or, in the case of people nor ordinarily resident in the Republic, their place of temporary residence while in the Republic.<\/p>\n
The health department said that the most effective way to curb the spread of the virus is by reducing human contact – the main way it is transmitted – and things like a lockdown have worked in countries like China to significantly reduce the number of daily infections.<\/p>\n
Academics have warned that without containment measures, millions of South Africans would be infected, with thousands needing intensive care, which the country’s healthcare system cannot handle.<\/p>\n
A lockdown is an extreme, but necessary measure to prevent as many deaths as possible.<\/p>\n
\nIt is with deep sadness that we announce two loss of lives to #coronavirus<\/a> . We will update with more details pic.twitter.com\/WXUORwjjHL<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) March 27, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n