Coronavirus: South Africa virus cases pass half million mark - BBC News

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More than half million coronavirus have been confirmed in South Africa, according to the country's health minister.

Zwelini Mkhize announced 10,107 new cases on Saturday, bringing the tally to 503,290, along with 8,153 deaths.

South Africa is the hardest-hit country on the continent and accounts for half of all reported infections in Africa.

It also has the fifth-highest number of cases in the world after the US, Brazil, Russia and India.

Researchers have said the true number of deaths in the country may be far higher.

In other developments:

South African health authorities have said the rate of infection is increasing rapidly, with cases currently concentrated around the capital, Pretoria.

• South Africa's outbreak: Eight lessons for the rest of the continent

More than a third of all infections have been reported in Gauteng - South Africa's financial hub, and a province that has quickly become the epicentre of the national outbreak.

Infections are not expected to peak for another month.

South Africa imposed a strict lockdown in April and May that slowed the spread of the coronavirus.

It began a gradual reopening in June but restrictions - including a ban on alcohol sales - were reintroduced last month as infection rates began to rise again. A state of emergency is also in force until 15 August.

The influx of patients has put an incredible strain on South Africa's hospitals, and a BBC investigation found an array of systematic failures that had exhausted healthcare professionals and brought the health service near to collapse.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said last month that 28,000 hospital beds had been made available for Covid-19 patients but the country still faced a "serious" shortage of doctors and nurses.

Last week the World Health Organization warned that South Africa's experience was a likely a precursor to what would happen across the rest of the continent.

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2020-08-02 06:25:53Z
CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWFmcmljYS01MzYyNTc4OdIBNGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FtcC93b3JsZC1hZnJpY2EtNTM2MjU3ODk

Coronavirus: Melbourne to face tighter restrictions as state of disaster is declared - Sky News

A state of disaster has been declared in the Australian state of Victoria as sweeping new restrictions will come into force from Sunday night.

An evening curfew will be implemented across the state's capital Melbourne from 8pm to 5am.

Those living in the city will only be allowed to shop and exercise within 3 miles (5km) of their homes, and all students across the state will return to home-based learning.

Childcare centres will also closed.

State premier Daniel Andrews said the state of disaster proclamation gave police greater powers.

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Mr Andrews said 671 new coronavirus cases had been detected since Saturday, including seven deaths.

Image: Military staff are seen at a care facility during the coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne

Melbourne may be placed under a six-week period of more stringent constraints, including the almost complete shutdown of its public transport network, starting from Wednesday, according to The Sunday Age.

More from Australia

Mr Andrews will announce the new measures over the next two days, according to The Sunday Herald.

The restrictions would include the closure of more businesses selling non-essential goods.

The state of disaster has been declared after a steady rise in both deaths and infections over the past six weeks in Victoria.

The deaths in the state took Australia's national toll to 208.

Mr Andrews said: "If we don't make these changes, we're not going to get through this.

"We need to do more. That is what these decisions are about."

Image: A key worker in Victoria walks past a sign encouraging people to wear masks

He added there would be more announcements about workplaces on Monday, including the closure of certain industries.

Mr Andrews continued: "I want to ensure all Victorians - supermarkets, the butcher, the baker, food, beverage, groceries, those types of settings - there will be no impact there."

New South Wales confirmed its first coronavirus-related death in more than a month on Sunday as authorities sought to suppress a number of growing clusters at a hotel and several restaurants in Sydney.

The measures in Victoria comes as India's coronavirus caseload crossed 1.75 million with another spike of 54,735 in the past 24 hours.

The new cases in India are down from 57,118 on Saturday.

The country's health ministry also reported 853 deaths on Sunday for a total of 37,364.

Image: Commuters in the city may have to do without public transport

Randeep Guleria, a top government expert, said that New Delhi and Mumbai may have crossed their peak levels with declining trends.

The month of July alone has accounted for more than 1.1 million cases in India.

South Korea has reported 30 additional cases of the coronavirus, most of them associated with international arrivals.

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

The cases announced Sunday by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention brought the national tally to 14,366 with 301 deaths.

The agency says eight of the newly confirmed cases were locally infected while the rest came from overseas.

South Korea has recently seen an uptick in imported cases, many of them South Korean construction workers airlifted out of virus-ravaged Iraq and crew members of Russia-flagged cargo ships docked in local ports.

Health authorities have said imported cases are less threatening as they continue to enforce two-week quarantines on all people arriving from abroad.

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2020-08-02 07:13:30Z
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Coronavirus: 'Rapid increases' in South Africa cases as more than 500,000 test positive - Sky News

South Africa has confirmed more than 500,000 coronavirus cases, as the number of infections in the African continent climbs towards one million.

The country reported a daily rise of 10,107 new COVID-19 infections.

This brings the total to 503,290 - the fifth-highest worldwide, behind the US, Brazil, India and Russia, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US.

July: South Africa in midst of COVID-19 'storm'

Denis Chopera, a virologist based in Durban, said: "Half a million is a significant milestone, because it shows we've entered a stage of rapid increases. We may reach one million cases very quickly."

Many experts think South Africa could reach the peak in cases in late August or early September.

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Mr Chopera added: "What we know for sure is that the figures are an underestimate and that this virus will be with us for a long time to come."

Just over three million of South Africa's 58 million people have been tested since the country's first case was confirmed five months ago.

More from Covid-19

Gauteng, which includes South Africa's largest city Johannesburg and its administrative capital Pretoria, is the current epicentre of the virus.

July: COVID-19: South Africa's health system 'buckling'

But Mr Chopera said provinces such as Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal could fare badly with a big increase in cases, as their health systems are less prepared.

"They may have serious problems," he said.

The number of deaths stands at 8,153 in South Africa. There have been around 684,000 worldwide.

South Africa went into lockdown at the end of March but many restrictions have been eased to limit the effect on the country's economy, which was already in recession before the virus hit.

The unemployment rate is about 30%.

Social distancing was often impossible in South Africa's tightly-packed urban areas and there are fears the same problems could see a rapid rise in cases across the continent, where large parts of the population live in similarly-crowded conditions.

May: COVID-19 threatens South Africa wildlife

South Africa's president Cyril Ramaphosa said: "The lockdown succeeded in delaying the spread of the virus by more than two months, preventing a sudden and uncontrolled increase in infections in late March."

Meanwhile, India recorded its steepest spike of 57,118 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, taking its total coronavirus cases close to 1.7 million, with July alone accounting for nearly 1.1 million infections.

Also, Mexico has passed the UK to have the third-highest number of deaths from the virus, 47,472, behind the US and Brazil.

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2020-08-02 05:21:09Z
CBMieGh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXJhcGlkLWluY3JlYXNlcy1pbi1zb3V0aC1hZnJpY2EtY2FzZXMtYXMtbW9yZS10aGFuLTUwMC0wMDAtdGVzdC1wb3NpdGl2ZS0xMjA0MDc4NNIBfGh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2FtcC9jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy1yYXBpZC1pbmNyZWFzZXMtaW4tc291dGgtYWZyaWNhLWNhc2VzLWFzLW1vcmUtdGhhbi01MDAtMDAwLXRlc3QtcG9zaXRpdmUtMTIwNDA3ODQ

Coronavirus: South Africa virus cases pass half million mark - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

More than half million coronavirus have been confirmed in South Africa, according to the country's health minister.

Zwelini Mkhize announced 10,107 new cases on Saturday, bringing the tally to 503,290, along with 8,153 deaths.

South Africa is the hardest-hit country on the continent and accounts for half of all reported infections in Africa.

It also has the fifth-highest number of cases in the world after the US, Brazil, Russia and India.

Researchers have said the true number of deaths in the country may be far higher.

In other developments:

South African health authorities have said the rate of infection is increasing rapidly, with cases currently concentrated around the capital, Pretoria.

• South Africa's outbreak: Eight lessons for the rest of the continent

More than a third of all infections have been reported in Gauteng - South Africa's financial hub, and a province that has quickly become the epicentre of the national outbreak.

Infections are not expected to peak for another month.

South Africa imposed a strict lockdown in April and May that slowed the spread of the coronavirus.

It began a gradual reopening in June but restrictions - including a ban on alcohol sales - were reintroduced last month as infection rates began to rise again. A state of emergency is also in force until 15 August.

The influx of patients has put an incredible strain on South Africa's hospitals, and a BBC investigation found an array of systematic failures that had exhausted healthcare professionals and brought the health service near to collapse.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said last month that 28,000 hospital beds had been made available for Covid-19 patients but the country still faced a "serious" shortage of doctors and nurses.

Last week the World Health Organization warned that South Africa's experience was a likely a precursor to what would happen across the rest of the continent.

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2020-08-02 04:38:23Z
CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWFmcmljYS01MzYyNTc4OdIBNGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FtcC93b3JsZC1hZnJpY2EtNTM2MjU3ODk

Coronavirus: South Africa virus cases pass half million mark - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

More than half million coronavirus have been confirmed in South Africa, according to the country's health minister.

Zwelini Mkhize announced 10,107 new cases on Saturday, bringing the tally to 503,290, along with 8,153 deaths.

South Africa is the hardest-hit country on the continent and accounts for half of all reported infections in Africa.

It also has the fifth-highest number of cases in the world after the US, Brazil, Russia and India.

Researchers have said the true number of deaths in the country may be far higher.

In other developments:

South African health authorities have said the rate of infection is increasing rapidly, with cases currently concentrated around the capital, Pretoria.

• South Africa's outbreak: Eight lessons for the rest of the continent

More than a third of all infections have been reported in Gauteng - South Africa's financial hub, and a province that has quickly become the epicentre of the national outbreak.

Infections are not expected to peak for another month.

South Africa imposed a strict lockdown in April and May that slowed the spread of the coronavirus.

It began a gradual reopening in June but restrictions - including a ban on alcohol sales - were reintroduced last month as infection rates began to rise again. A state of emergency is also in force until 15 August.

The influx of patients has put an incredible strain on South Africa's hospitals, and a BBC investigation found an array of systematic failures that had exhausted healthcare professionals and brought the health service near to collapse.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said last month that 28,000 hospital beds had been made available for Covid-19 patients but the country still faced a "serious" shortage of doctors and nurses.

Last week the World Health Organization warned that South Africa's experience was a likely a precursor to what would happen across the rest of the continent.

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2020-08-02 03:19:44Z
CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWFmcmljYS01MzYyNTc4OdIBNGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FtcC93b3JsZC1hZnJpY2EtNTM2MjU3ODk

Coronavirus: South Africa virus cases pass half million mark - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

More than half million coronavirus have been confirmed in South Africa, according to the country's health minister.

Zwelini Mkhize announced 10,107 new cases on Saturday, bringing the tally to 503,290, along with 8,153 deaths.

South Africa is the hardest-hit country on the continent and accounts for half of all reported infections in Africa.

It also has the fifth-highest number of cases in the world after the US, Brazil, Russia and India.

Researchers have said the true number of deaths in the country may be far higher.

In other developments:

South African health authorities have said the rate of infection is increasing rapidly, with cases currently concentrated around the capital, Pretoria.

• South Africa's outbreak: Eight lessons for the rest of the continent

More than a third of all infections have been reported in Gauteng - South Africa's financial hub, and a province that has quickly become the epicentre of the national outbreak.

Infections are not expected to peak for another month.

South Africa imposed a strict lockdown in April and May that slowed the spread of the coronavirus.

It began a gradual reopening in June but restrictions - including a ban on alcohol sales - were reintroduced last month as infection rates began to rise again. A state of emergency is also in force until 15 August.

The influx of patients has put an incredible strain on South Africa's hospitals, and a BBC investigation found an array of systematic failures that had exhausted healthcare professionals and brought the health service near to collapse.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said last month that 28,000 hospital beds had been made available for Covid-19 patients but the country still faced a "serious" shortage of doctors and nurses.

Last week the World Health Organization warned that South Africa's experience was a likely a precursor to what would happen across the rest of the continent.

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2020-08-02 02:25:57Z
CBMiMGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWFmcmljYS01MzYyNTc4OdIBNGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FtcC93b3JsZC1hZnJpY2EtNTM2MjU3ODk

Coronavirus: South Africa virus cases pass half million mark - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

More than half million coronavirus have been confirmed in South Africa, according to the country's health minister.

Zwelini Mkhize announced 10,107 new cases on Saturday, bringing the tally to 503,290, along with 8,153 deaths.

South Africa is the hardest-hit country on the continent and accounts for half of all reported infections in Africa.

It also has the fifth-highest number of cases in the world after the US, Brazil, Russia and India.

Researchers have said the true number of deaths in the country may be far higher.

In other developments:

South African health authorities have said the rate of infection is increasing rapidly, with cases currently concentrated around the capital, Pretoria.

• South Africa's outbreak: Eight lessons for the rest of the continent

More than a third of all infections have been reported in Gauteng - South Africa's financial hub, and a province that has quickly become the epicentre of the national outbreak.

Infections are not expected to peak for another month.

South Africa imposed a strict lockdown in April and May that slowed the spread of the coronavirus.

It began a gradual reopening in June but restrictions - including a ban on alcohol sales - were reintroduced last month as infection rates began to rise again. A state of emergency is also in force until 15 August.

The influx of patients has put an incredible strain on South Africa's hospitals, and a BBC investigation found an array of systematic failures that had exhausted healthcare professionals and brought the health service near to collapse.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said last month that 28,000 hospital beds had been made available for Covid-19 patients but the country still faced a "serious" shortage of doctors and nurses.

Last week the World Health Organization warned that South Africa's experience was a likely a precursor to what would happen across the rest of the continent.

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2020-08-02 01:16:02Z
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