South Africa’s COVID-19 death toll exceeds 44,000

By Murat Ozgur Guvendik

ANKARA (AA) - South Africa registered 213 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus, taking its death toll to 44,164, health officials said Sunday.

The country has recorded over 1.45 million infections.

More than 8.2 million tests have been conducted and nearly 1.3 million patients have recovered so far.

South Africa is currently battling a second wave of the pandemic. The country has the highest number of infections and deaths on the continent and is the fifteenth most-affected country globally.

Africa’s most developed economy is also currently battling a new variant of the virus which is said to be 50% more infectious and has been detected in at least 20 countries.

Several countries including Turkey have stopped flights to South Africa.

The nation still has the highest number of infections and deaths on the continent.

Since emerging in December 2019, the pandemic has claimed more than 2.22 million lives in 192 countries and regions, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

More than 102 million cases and nearly 57 million recoveries have been reported worldwide.

*Writing by Merve Berker