JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – South Africa reported 354 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, the most recorded in one day and bringing the total in the country to 5,350, the health department said.
“This is the highest number of cases in a 24 hour cycle recorded to date and represents a 73 percent increase on the day before,” it said, adding in a separate that the number of deaths had risen by 10 to 103.
South Africa’s rand climbed to a two-week best on Wednesday as investors found more reasons buy risk assets with a number of major economies readying to reopen their economies and hopes of a coronavirus treatment resurfacing.
At 1530 GMT the rand was 2.08 percent firmer at 18.2760 per dollar, its firmest since April 14.
South Africa is due to start on May 1 to gradually ease its strict lockdown regulations which were rolled out on March 27.
Africa’s most industrialised nation remains the continent’s worst infected country, followed by Egypt.
On Tuesday, a total 203 new coronavirus cases had been reported before Wednesday’s record new infections.
The health department said there was a correlation between the increased testing and the higher detection rate.
“The total number of tests conducted to date is 197,127 of which 11,630 were done in the last 24 hours. This is the highest number of tests done in a 24-hour period, representing a 66 percent increase relative to the previous day’s tally,” the department said.
The department reported 10 deaths of mainly people with pre-existing conditions and some of old age. Four of the 10 were over 80, and the youngest – a 33-year-old woman from Western Cape – had inflammation of the heart.
