As the lockdown level 3 continues with further relaxation of regulations and opening up of the economy, the health Minister Zweli Mkhize, has announced that the cumulative number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa is 83 890.

This shows a rapid increase of more than 21 000 new confirmed cases in a week - on average 3 100 a day. While the Western Cape has by far the highest number (almost 60 percent) of confirmed Covid-19 cases, the health minister and the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa have raised concerns about the rapid spread of the coronavirus in the Eastern Cape. 

Provincial data shows that Western Cape has 47 522 confirmed cases, followed by Gauteng with 15 898, the Eastern Cape with 12 639 and KwaZulu-Natal, 4 360. North West has 1 606 cases, Free State has 649, Limpopo 489, Mpumalanga 461 and Northern Cape, 214.

A total of 1 228 098 tests have been completed of which 27 362 new tests have been reported - 597 394 (49 percent) have been done by the private sector; 63 0704 (51 percent) have been performed by the public sector.

"Regrettably, we report a further 63 Covid-19 related deaths - six from Eastern Cape and 57 from Western Cape. This brings the total deaths to 1 737. 

We wish to express our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the health care workers who treated the deceased," the minister said. 

The mortality rate is 2.1 percent, the minister said, but the number of recoveries is 44 920 which translates to a recovery rate of 53.5 percent, Mkhize said.