Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced that South Africa has recorded 592 144 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
This is an increase of 2 258 new cases in the last 24 hours.
The total number of tests conducted to date is 3 430 347 with 14 677 new tests conducted since the last report.
A further 282 COVID-19 related deaths were recorded – 66 from Eastern Cape, 89 from Gauteng, 57 from KwaZulu-Natal, 3 from Northern Cape, 13 from Free State, and 34 from Western Cape and 20 from North West.
This brings the total COVID-19 related cumulative deaths to 12 264.
The recoveries now stand at 485 468 which translates to a recovery rate of 82%.
South Africa, which had one of the world’s strictest anti-coronavirus lockdowns for five months, relaxed its restrictions on Tuesday in response to a decrease in new cases.
The country loosened its regulations to permit the sale of alcohol and cigarettes, and the reopening of bars, restaurants, gyms and places of worship, all limited to no more than 50 people.
Schools will reopen gradually starting August 24.
Meanwhile the World Health Organization has said the world is nowhere near the amount of coronavirus immunity needed to induce herd immunity, a situation where enough people would have antibodies to stop the spread.
The number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 around the world now exceeds 21.8 million, and more than 774,000 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 13.9 million people have recovered from the disease.
Compiled by Lehlohonolo Lehana.