South Africa, the country worst-hit by the coronavirus on the continent, has registered more than 10,000 daily cases as infections surge at an exponential rate, the health minister said.

The Covid-19 positivity rate — the proportion of tests that come back positive — has topped 21 per cent, far exceeding the “ideal” rate of 10pc, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said.

The worst-hit region is the Western Cape in the south, including the tourist destinations of Cape Town and the country's wine country. Kwazulu-Natal in the southeast and the economic capital Johannesburg are the second and third worst hit, according to AFP.

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