Hyderabad: The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 1,80,25,877 and killed over 6,88,962 people across the world. More than 1,13,33,831 people have recovered so far.
South Africa on Saturday surpassed 5,00,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, representing more than 50 per cent of all reported coronavirus infections in Africa’s 54 countries.
South Africa, with a population of about 58 million, has the fifth-highest number of cases in the world, behind the US, Brazil, Russia and India, all countries with significantly higher populations, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Experts say the true toll of the pandemic worldwide is much higher than confirmed cases, due to limited testing and other reasons.
South Africa’s Gauteng province which includes Johannesburg, the country’s largest city and Pretoria, the capital is the country’s epicentre with more than 35 per cent of its confirmed cases. Local hospitals have been struggling to cope, and health experts say the country could reach the peak of its outbreak in late August or early September.
Cape Town, a city beloved by international tourists at the country’s southern tip, was the first epicentre and reached its peak last month, according to health experts.
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