The South African Ministry of Health recorded the first Covid-19 death in infants as a two-day-old baby born prematurely.

South Africa on May 20 recorded a total of 18,003 nCoV infections, of which 339 people died.

"Sadly, we recorded the first neonatal death associated with Covid-19, a two-day-old baby born prematurely, thus having lung difficulties, requiring ventilatory support immediately after birth"

Minister Mkhize also extended a special compliment to the frontline health workers, "who are serving with honor and compassion, despite the real risks they face at the front."

The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this month said 52 African countries had Covid-19, with a total of 51,239 cases, of which 1,926 died and 17,471 had recovered.

A survey conducted by WHO in March in 47 African countries shows that the region has an average of 9 intensive care beds (ICU) per million people.

More than 210 countries and territories appeared Covid-19 after the outbreak in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, causing more than 5 million infections, nearly 330,000 deaths.