South Africa on alert after virus surges

Confronted by a surge in patients arriving at hospital due to Covid-19, South Africa is considering a return to tighter restrictions to combat the virus.

President Cyril Ramaphosa was due to address the nation about the crisis last night, after top health officials warned of shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen.

South Africa’s rapid increase in reported cases has made it one of the world’s Covid-19 hotspots.

The country, which has now recorded 3,971 deaths related to the virus, has reported increases of more than 10,000 confirmed cases for several days. The latest was more than 13,000.