The number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 in South Africa has risen to 903.
That is according to Health Minister Zwelhi Mkhize who announced the latest stats for the country on Thursday.
He says 479 of those recoveries 479 were in Gauteng and 205 in the Western Cape.
The fatalities in South Africa has increased to 48 with four deaths reported in the Eastern Cape.
Minister Mkhize says there were also 99 new infections bringing the total to 2 605.
The government on Thursday published updated disaster regulations as the country enters a further two weeks of lockdown to contain the spread of the virus. It includes an easing of restrictions, notably to allow the mining sector to operate at about 50% of its normal capacity.
Oil refineries were also given the green light to ramp up operations and exemptions were announced for clothing and hardware retailers.
Mkhize and his special advisor said earlier this week that the strict lockdown measures had allowed South Africa to escape the kind of exponential increase that would have seen the virus spread like wildfire through communities.
Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said on Thursday that come 30 April, lockdown restrictions would not be lifted abruptly. Instead, there would be a gradual easing of restrictions on a weekly basis.
- African News Agency (ANA)
