London, July 12, 2020 (AltAfrica)-As the number of positive cases of Covid-19 in South Africa continues to spike, the National Department of Health today announced that the country now has 264 184

confirmed cases. 
This is an increase of 13 500 new cases on the previous day’s figures. 
Of the 111 new deaths reported on Saturday, 38 were from the Western Cape, 30  from Eastern Cape, 26 from Gauteng and 13 from KwaZulu-Natal. South Africa’s Covid-19 death toll now stands at 3 971.

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Recoveries have also increased to 127 715. Over 2 million Covid-19 tests conducted

The 51 338 Covid-19 tests conducted over the past 24 hours brings the country total number of tests carried out to 2 108 570.

Gauteng’s positive cases surpass 90 000 mark

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Gauteng, the current epicentre of the coronavirus in South Africa, stands at 93 044 with 580 deaths reported and 29 038 recoveries.

The Western Cape, which was previously the worst affected province, now has 77 339 positive cases and still has the highest death toll at 2 333.

Neighbourhood watches help fight Covid-19 in Western Cape The Western Minister of Community Safety, Albert Fritz, on Saturday launched the Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) Safety Improvement Volunteers Project in Khayelitsha, handing over 15 starter kits to neighbourhhod watches in the area. 

The pilot programme initially includes the 15 Neighbourhood Watches in Khayelitsha, but will be rolled out to an additional 23 neighbourhood watches in the Eastern, Tygerberg, Klipfontein and Southern hotspot areas.

“These Neighbourhood Watches will help to ensure social distancing, hygiene, and mask wearing in places where people congregate (such as shopping centres, transport interchanges and Sassa paypoints) in their communities, and form part of our hotspot strategy interventions to bring about behaviour change and slow the spread of the virus,” the Western Cape government said.

“They have received training from Medicins Sans Frontiers, and the starter kits include sanitisers, bottles for the sanitiser, masks, branded Neighbourhood Watch T-shirts and tape that will allow them to mark out lines for social distancing.”

Health Minister pays tribute to ANC KZN spokesperson
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize earlier today paid tribute to Ricardo Mthembu, the spokesperson for the African National Congress in KwaZulu Natal, who died after Covid-19 complications on Wednesday, earlier this week. 

Minister Mkhize, said, “Coronavirus has engulfed the whole world and within a few months affected millions of the global population, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives. We convey our deepest condolences to the family, comrades and friends of comrade Ricardo. His passing robs us of one of the finest cadres grown, developed and steeped in the rich teachings and traditions of our liberation movement.” 

“We mourn the passing of a life so short and a leader so young; from whom a lot more was expected in the future of our province, our country and our nation as a whole.” 
IOL