A total of 23 583 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, with 1 913 new cases identified on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, 145 more succumbed to COVID-19 related illnesses, bringing the total number of deaths to 17 248 since the outbreak.
Of the latest fatalities, 42 are from KwaZulu-Natal, 41 from Gauteng, 24 from Limpopo, 11 from Mpumalanga and Free State, eight from the Western Cape, seven from the Northern Cape and one from the Eastern Cape.
Also, the cumulative number of detected COVID-19 cases is 685 155, while the recovery rate stands at 90% after 618 127 patients recuperated.
Gauteng remains the epicentre with 221 719 cases, followed by KwaZulu-Natal 119 930, Western Cape 111 826 and Eastern Cape 90 165.
Free State has 49 270 cases, North West 30 288, Mpumalanga 27 800, Northern Cape 18 207 and Limpopo 15 950.
Globally, there have been 35 659 007 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1 044 269 deaths reported to the World Health Organisation.
Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has once against warned against the risk of resurgence.
“The message is there shouldn’t be complacency,” he said during a political lecture in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday.
He has asked people to focus on the “new normal” of wearing masks, sanitising, social distancing, and cough etiquette especially now that international travel has been opened.
“This has assisted us and therefore it is something we should continue with,” Mkhize added.
He also encouraged people to download the COVID Alert SA app so people can be notified if they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus.
He also thanked Cuban doctors and the WHO surge team for their support in fighting the Coronavirus in the country.
“The tenets of the National Health Insurance could be recognised during COVID-19. There was the pooling of resources and a public-private partnership,” Mkhize added.
“There was also infrastructure development, refurbishment, investment in health and a strong and capable workforce was built.”
Mkhize said the fight against the pandemic is a non-partisan campaign, but one that involves everyone in society.
“Behavioural change is the new normal. We must fight stigma and ensure vigilance,” he added. – SAnews.gov.za
