South Africa records nearly 5K new COVID-19 cases

​​​​​​​By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - South Africa recorded 4,932 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 805,804, health Minister Zweli Mkhize said late Friday.
Mkhize said 160 people died from the virus taking that figure to 21,963.
He said new cases were detected after 33,415 tests were conducted, which indicates a positivity rate of 14.75%.
The nation has conducted nearly 6 million tests since the virus was first detected nearly eight months ago.

​​​​​​​Mkhize said 740,450 patients have recovered.

South Africa has the highest number of cases on the continent and is the 16th most-affected country globally.
President Cyril Ramaphosa warned Thursday that the country could face a second wave from the pandemic if people do not take necessary measures to protect themselves.
“There is now clear evidence of a resurgence of infections in parts of our country, which, if not confronted decisively and directly, could lead to great suffering and death,” he said in an address to the nation.
Ramaphosa introduced new restrictions in the hotspot area of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro to curb the spread of the virus, including new curfew hours from 10 p.m. - 4 a.m. (2000GMT – 0200GMT).
The government also introduced a ban on alcohol consumption in public areas such as beaches and parks to reduce large gatherings.
The numbers of people attending religious or funeral gatherings have been limited to 100 for indoor events and 250 for outdoor events.