Zweli Mkhize, Health Minister said the rate of COVID-19 infections in South Africa is much lower than the government predicted.
He further said the early lockdown delayed the surge of infections in most provinces, except the Western Cape.
“What we have seen in the last few months has been a very different presentation of the COVID-19 pandemic from what we initially thought it was going to be.”
“Initially we thought it was going to be a huge surge in the whole country and of course it has completely changed,” he said.
Mkhize also said it is only natural that the country has an excess of deaths during the pandemic.
He said it is common in most countries.
Some people die at home, and there is not telling whether their deaths are from COVID-19 or not.
Mkhize said the Health Department will start working with funeral parlours to test bodies for the virus.
The Health Minister was visiting hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal to check on COVID-19 facilities.
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