Covid-19 update: WHO commends SA, Ramaphosa for fight against virus
The World Health Organization has applauded South Africa for the way it has handled the pandemic. Briefly.co.za explores the latest updates on the Covid-19 outbreak in the country.
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The World Health Organization recently sent a team of experts to help the nation overcome its Covid-19 outbreak.
Now, the WHO has commended the leadership of SA for the way it elected to handle a 'very complicated' situation.
Briefly.co.za explores the latest updates on the pandemic in SA:
Source: UGC
READ ALSO: Covid-19 update: R37 million border fence dubbed wasteful expenditure
1. WHO commends SA on its fight against Covid-19
South Africa has been given a beaming endorsement from the World Health Organization for the way that the Covid-19 pandemic was handled.
Speaking during a briefing in Switzerland, Micheal Ryans, Executive Director of WHO Health Emergencies Programme commented:
"The lessons learnt and the knowledge exchanged has been excellent. In many ways, South Africa reached out to the WHO, not through weakness but through strength. In recognising that it had a complex outbreak on its hands and not that it needed the help of WHO, but that it wanted to work with WHO to identify ways in which things could be done better."
WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended the nation's leadership, including President Ramaphosa, for its contribution to ensuring Africa has a strategy to overcome:
"South Africa is doing its best we know its very, very complicated but we know it is doing its best and we are very glad to partner and send our colleagues there to work with SA. With the current trend, we hope to push it to a further decline and control the pandemic. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the leadership, President Ramaphosa and not only in SA but the whole continent to develop one continental strategy and helping Africa to move forward as one."
2. Mkhize provides latest Covid-19 statistics
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has provided South Africa with an update on the latest Covid-19 statistics. In a statement issued by the Health Ministry on Monday evening, Mkhzie noted that only 854 new cases had been recorded:
"As of today, a cumulative total of 639 362 confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa have been recorded."
The number of deaths, unfortunately, saw an increase with Mkhize confirming that:
"Regrettably, we report 115 more Covid-19 related deaths: 25 from KwaZulu-Natal, 5 from Gauteng, 12 from Eastern Cape, 7 from Free State, 10 from North West, 13 from Western Cape and 43 from Limpopo. This brings the total number of Covid-19-related deaths to 15 004."
Mkhize also noted that 566 555 citizens have overcome the virus with the recovery rate continuing to rise and currently at 88.6%.
Meanwhile, Briefly.co.za reported that as part of the government's response to Covid-19, emphasis was placed on reinforcing the nation's borders. This saw a R37 million project to reinforce the SA-Zimbabwe border at Beitbridge with a new fence, but the endeavour was soon marred by controversy.
Images of a pitiful wire fence emerged online, prompting an investigation into the project, which cost just under R1 million per kilometre of fencing.
Three different Parliamentary Portfolio Committees have since conducted in-loco inspections and determined that the fence is not fit for its intended purpose. The committees have labelled the fence wasteful expenditure, noting that substandard materials had been utilised.
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Source: Briefly News
