Number of COVID-19 cases in South Africa climbs to 274

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - The number of cases in South Africa of the novel coronavirus has jumped to 274, with 34 new cases recorded Sunday, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Most of those infected are between the ages of 31-40 and 50-60. At least 52 people between the ages of 21-30 have also tested positive.

According to the statement, South Africa has so far conducted 9,315 tests, of which 274 turned out positive and 9,041 negative.

No deaths related to the virus have been reported despite the growing number of cases.

The government has introduced several measures to curtail its spread, including closing schools, stopping travelers from badly affected countries from visiting South Africa and prohibiting gatherings of over 100 people.

The virus first emerged in Wuhan, China last December and has spread to at least 159 countries and territories. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a pandemic.

There are 336,000 confirmed cases worldwide, with the death toll surpassing 14,600, while more than 98,000 have recovered.