JOHANNESBURG

South Africa on Saturday registered 525 new cases of the coronavirus, the country’s health minister said, taking the tally to 9,420.

In a news conference in the Western Cape, which has almost 50% of the total cases, Zweli Mkhize said the death toll in the country rose to 186, as eight more people lost their lives over the past 24 hours.

“We express our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and thank the health care workers who looked after these patients,” Mkhize said.

The minister also said a total have 3,153 people have so far recovered from the novel coronavirus, while as many as 324,079 tests have been conducted since the beginning of the outbreak in the country.

“We urge that health workers be given the flu vaccine. We want them to be well trained and well protected, as the frontline workers,” he said on Twitter Saturday after more than 500 health workers recently tested positive for COVID-19 in the country.

After originating in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 187 countries and regions. Europe and the US are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed more than 276,800 worldwide, with over 3.99 million infections, while recoveries have exceeded 1.34 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.