South Africa reports 216 more deaths from COVID-19

ABUJA, Nigeria

South Africa registered thousands of new coronavirus cases and hundreds of fatalities late Thursday.

Coronavirus cases topped 324,000 with 13,172 new infections in the past 24 hours, according to health ministry data.

Fatalities rose to 4,669 with 216 new deaths whereas more than 165,000 people recovered from the virus.
Since originating in China last December, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 588,300 lives in 188 countries and regions.
More than 13.7 million cases have been reported worldwide, while an excess of 7.6 million patients has recovered, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas