Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced on Tuesday night that these 10 patients are part of 149 more who died in the last 24 hours in the country. This now takes the death toll of those who died due to Covid-19 complications in the Northern Cape to 116. 

Their deaths come as the rate of infections in the country increased to 613 017 in the last 24-hour cycle. According to the latest statistics by Mkhize, the Northern Cape has 2,878 active cases after 6,381 patients recovered from the virus, and 116 deaths were recorded from the overall 9,375 reported cases.

The Northern Cape is the province in the country with the fourth-lowest number of active cases after, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape.  It has the lowest death rate in the country.

Earlier, Mkhize announced that the number of tests is declining countrywide. He said the people who are presenting for tests have declined and the public and private sector continue to work together in testing for Covid-19.

Two days ago he said: "We can say we are over the surge. The plateau has started (and in the) Western Cape it’s been over two months. "KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is also now decreasing and that’s indicative of a promising time," he added. So far the total number of Covid-19 patients who died, stands at 13 308 and the total number of recoveries is 520 381.

 OFM News