Staff Reporter
The number of deaths related to COVID-19 in the Free State has more than doubled in just one week, latest statistics show.
As of July 9, the disease had claimed 19 lives and the province had a total of 3 724 confirmed cases.
Exactly seven days later, on July 16, the figure, according to the provincial health department, has jumped to 45.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has also shot up to 6 561, with 1 033 recoveries.
During the same period, the province also recorded 592 new cases.
Mangaung remains the Free State’s epicentre of the acute respiratory disease with 2 315 cases, followed by Lejweleputswa district with 1 708.
Fezile Dabi district now has 1 243 cases, Thabo Mofutsanyana 814 and Xhariep 281.
The sharp increases come as South Africa is now sixth in the world in terms of cumulative COVID-19 cases.
The country now has 324 221 confirmed cases, putting it ahead of China, Mexico, Chile, Spain and Italy among others.
The number of deaths in South Africa however remains much lower compared to other countries in the world.
There are now 4 669 deaths after 216 new fatalities were recorded across the country Thursday.