Researchers have released data on so-called 'excess deaths'. This is the number of deaths above the historical average.

That figure could be close to 7,000, since the beginning of May.

Officials are not saying government tried to hide anything but instead, it's a matter of data collection.

"Estimating this is very challenging but we are not sure if we are right," said Debbie Bradshaw, Burden of Disease Unit Director at the SA Medical Research Council.

"But we do take it as a signal that the official statistics are undertaking the real impact of COVID, it is not unusual, it has happened in other countries." 

The total number of confirmed cases in the country to 250,687.

The Department of Health congratulated South African laboratory services for completing over two-million tests.

Countrywide, 2,000,569 people have now been tested.

The total number of COVID-19 related deaths now stands at 3,720.

eNCA