More than 600 people died in one day in South Africa, where the third wave driven by the more deadly Delta Variant is spreading seemingly unabated.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Tuesday released the shocking death count.
“A further 633 Covid-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 65 142 to date,” said the NCID, a division of the National Health Laboratory Service.
“Today the institute reports 12 537 new Covid-19 cases that have been identified in South Africa, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 219 316.
“This increase represents a 24.2% positivity rate.”
South Africa is in the grips of deadly unrest that has seen some vaccination sites suspend operations.
At least 72 people have died in the violent looting and destruction of shopping malls.
Police have arrested more than a thousand suspects for public violence and looting.
