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HEALTH-VIRUS-SAFRICA
South Africa’s coronavirus cases surge past 500
JOHANNESBURG, March 24, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – South Africa reported more than
150 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the new tally to 554, the
highest in Africa, a day after it ordered a three-week lockdown.
“As of today, there are 554 cases of coronavirus in South Africa,” Health
Minister Zweli Mkhize, told a news conference.
“For the next week or two we still expect the numbers to go up. This is a
disease pattern we cannot predict.”
He said in the next week or two the numbers “would probably have gone
three or four times or so”.
“This is just one man’s guess, it’s not even a projection.”
In a bid to stem the spread of the deadly virus, South Africa’s President
Cyril Ramaphosa announced a 21-day military-patrolled lockdown would be
enforced from Thursday.
The pandemic had been slow to spread in Africa compared with other regions
but the number of deaths and infections have started to increase, sparking
concerns about the continent’s vulnerability to contagious diseases.
Africa now has more than 1,800 confirmed cases, according to the African
Union’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1658 hrs