SA COVID-19 cases soar, recommended isolation period reduced
South Africa's coronavirus death toll has risen further.
The Health Department says 135 more people have died as a result of COVID-19. The total number of fatalities is 4 804.
There are over 13 000 new confirmed infections – with over 2 000 of these reported in KZN. This brings the number of confirmed cases to 337 594.
The department says 178 183 people have now recovered.
#COVID19 UPDATE: A total of 48 130 #COVID19 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. Regrettably, we report 135 more #COVID19 related deaths bringing the total number of deaths to 4804 We send our deepest condolences. https://t.co/I6gXcVUNGC pic.twitter.com/uyYd95MIMe
— NICD (@nicd_sa) July 17, 2020
Meanwhile, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize says the recommended period of isolation has been reduced from 14 to 10 days for COVID-19 positive people who don't have a fever and those whose symptoms have begun to improve.
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"This recommendation is based on the evidence that most patients with mild COVID-19 infections continue to share the virus from their upper airways for approximately seven to twelve days."
"Furthermore, the presence of detectable virus when testing does not necessarily imply infectiousness. It has been proven that in mild cases, virus cultures are generally only positive for eight to nine days after the onset of symptoms."
He says this new guideline is effective immediately and is also applicable to healthcare workers.
