The new fatalities included the first in the Northern Cape. The total number of Covid-19 cases in the country increased to 17,200, according to the ministry.

The Western Cape stood at 10,639 and accounted for 61.9 percent of the number of infections in the country. The province has recorded 187 Covid-19 related fatalities, the ministry said.

It said the number of tests for the virus conducted countrywide so far was nearing the half million mark, with 488,609. Of those 13,538 was done in the last 24 hours.

Countrywide, 7,960 patients have recovered from the novel coronavirus.

The ministry said 4,363 of the recoveries occurred in the Western Cape and 1,671 in Gauteng.

Gauteng had the second highest number of infections in the country with 2,361, followed closely by the Eastern Cape with 2,135.

African News Agency