NHLS employee among those who succumbed to COVID-19

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has also confirmed that 1,466 more people have tested positive, bringing the number of known cases in the country to 27,403.

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's coronavirus death toll has risen to 577 with 25 more deaths recorded on Thursday.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has also confirmed that 1,466 more people have tested positive, bringing the number of known cases in the country to 27,403.

The minister said an employee of the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) was among those who died due to the virus.

“She was confirmed with COVID-19 a few weeks ago and was thereafter admitted to hospital. She finally succumbed to death today.”

So far, over 14,000 people have recovered from COVID 19 across the country.

The number of tests conducted daily is also continuing to rise.
“Of the specimens that have been collected based on the clinical prioritization, some specimens do not immediately get processed resulting in a backlog in tests. This means tests are not concluded on the same day when the specimen is received. The number of days it takes to clear those specimen remains variable.”