May 7, 2020
A total of 292 153 tests have been conducted to date, with 12 774 tests done in the past 24 hours, while over seven million people have been screened, the minister added.
Mkhize said most of the deaths reported were associated with comorbidities and, therefore, hygiene and physical distancing would be crucial as the country eases the lockdown.
Ithuba Holdings donated over 100 000 reusable masks.
On receiving the donation, Mkhize highlighted the importance of cloth masks, saying it could last for up to a year, which was an investment for healthcare workers.
“As soon as we get these distributed, we would like our members when they get on to their taxis, if they are on the road and going from home to work, they can have a different mask to wear when they get to work – that’s when we keep the surgical masks, the N95 and so on, specifically the PPEs for those particular conditions,” Mkhize said.
205 SAPS members test positive
Police Minister Bheki Cele also accepted donated masks, which were embedded with the SA Police Service (SAPS) badge.
Cele said the donation added a new colour to the fight against the virus and said it would make a difference to cops, who were also on the frontline in the fight against Covid-19.
He said 205 members of SAPS had contracted the virus, most of them from the Western Cape.
Cele said police would be on the ground at roadblocks to shut down provincial borders at exactly 23:59 on Thursday, when the grace period under Level 4 lockdown came to an end for people travelling between provinces.
