This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
As of August 5, 2020, South Africa has become the hardest-hit country in Africa, with at least 521,318 infections diagnosed, accounting for more than half the continent's cases.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced that 24,104 health workers have tested positive for coronavirus, resulting in 181 deaths.
This translates to around five percent of the country's total caseload, compared to the global rate of some 10 percent.
The country's caseload has been rising rapidly in recent weeks, with health authorities expecting a surge in infections after the gradual loosening of a strict lockdown imposed on March 27.
South Africa now sits in the top five globally in terms of the number of infections.
