South Africans testing positive for Covid-19 rose by 345 to 5 350 yesterday, the highest in a 24-hour cycle to date.
But Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said this coincided with the highest number of tests yet conducted in a 24-hour period – 11 630, representing a 66% increase relative to tests conducted a day earlier.
So far, 197 127 South Africans have been tested.
Ten deaths were recorded in Gauteng, Western Cape, KZN and Eastern Cape, bringing total fatalities to 103.
The new numbers coincided with a government briefing on the extensive lockdown regulations to remain in place when the country moves to level 4 tomorrow.
The government backtracked on its earlier promise on cigarette sales, saying tobacco products would remain forbidden under level 4.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced some easing of restrictions. People will be allowed to exercise in their neighbourhoods, but only between 6am and 9am and near their homes, and they may buy a few more products such as winter clothes and bedding.
Buses and trains will be opened, but under strict conditions. Buying alcohol is still banned.
A curfew from 8pm to 5am will be imposed.
Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel said the government had been urged by businesses to allow widespread reopening, but that a ‘cautious approach’ was important.
He announced that e-commerce activity would be gradually expanded. For now, winter clothing, bedding, hot foods and stationery would be added to the list of allowable online goods.
In other virus-related news
- The Financial Times reported that the US economy shrank in the first quarter by its fastest rate since the 2008 financial crisis, ending the longest expansion on record as lockdowns aimed at curbing the pandemic choked off economic activity. Gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services produced by the economy, shrank at a 4.8 per cent annualised rate in the first three months of the year;
- The BBC reported that, with more than 58 000 deaths, more Americans had now died of Covid-19 infection than died in the Vietnam War;
- China reported 22 new cases, 21 of which were imported, but no new deaths. This brought the national total to 82 858;
- The downward trend continued in South Korea where, after ballooning in February, daily infections have reduced drastically, with only nine new cases reported yesterday;
- India, with just over 30 000 cases, now has the second highest number of infections in the region;
- Google this week made its business videoconferencing service free to all users, ramping up competition for Zoom as people flock online to stay connected during the pandemic. Google Meet had previously been reserved for subscribers to the premium G Suite software tools for businesses;
- France’s oldest doctor, Dr Christian Chenay, said he ‘cannot just abandon’ his patients as he continued to work in a high-risk environment during the pandemic at the age of 98, the BBC reported; and
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood announced that streamed films would be eligible to compete at next year’s Oscars. Until now, only films that had been given a full cinema release and had run for at least a week in a commercial Los Angeles theatre were eligible.