COVID-19 daily tracker

The COVID-19 daily tracker is an easy guide to daily developments of this pandemic, globally and for Sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa specifically. The PDF (see link in email body, top right) contains a series of informative graphs. 

• The global total is 6,573,585 cases and 388,041 deaths have been confirmed. Recoveries from the virus have increased to 3,171,032. The number of cases in the US have increased to 1,901,783, accounting for 29% of global cases.
• Confirmed cases in Africa have increased to 162,695; fatalities on the continent are currently 4,605. The developed world has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with massive stimulus packages to cushion the economic impact. A lack of liquidity for many African governments restricts them from providing similar relief measures. Years of poor fiscal discipline has thus made many African nations vulnerable to this pandemic. However, many nations are pushing for a debt standstill to free up funds to support the vulnerable.
• SA now has 37,525 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 792 deaths. This is an increase of 1,713 new cases; 19,682 people have recovered from the virus. The Western Cape has the highest number of confirmed cases at 24,657 (accounting for 66% of the total); 597 deaths have been reported. Gauteng has 4,567 cases (accounting for 12% of the total) and 33 deaths. The Eastern Cape has 4,526 cases and 95 deaths while KwaZulu-Natal has 2,707 cases and 54 deaths. 
• The SA High Court ruled earlier this week both Level 4 and 3 lockdown regulations as “unconstitutional and invalid”. It has also ruled that government may not compel people who test positive for the virus into state quarantine facilities if they can isolate themselves at home. It was also noted that the person must also be able to contact and/or return to a health facility if their condition worsens.