Covid-19 update: 19,842 new cases reported in SA

As of Wednesday, South Africa has recorded a total of 3.071,064 positive cases of Covid-19, with 19,842 new cases identified in the past 24 hours.

This increase represents a 26.8% positivity rate. 

The majority of new cases today are from Gauteng (59%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape (10% each). Mpumalanga accounted for 6%; North West accounted for 5%; Limpopo accounted for 4%; Eastern Cape and Free State each accounted for 3%; and Northern Cape accounted for 1% of today’s new cases. 

As per the National Department of Health, a further 36 Covid-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 90,038 to date, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, announced on Wednesday.

19.912,794 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

There has been an increase of 374 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

The South African Health Products Authority (Sahpra) has approved a booster shot of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines for individuals over 18 years of age.

Sahpra initially approved the use of Pfizer’s Comirnaty® Covid-19 vaccine on 16 March 2021, in terms of section 21 of the Medicines and Related Substance Act (Act 101 of 1965).

On 17 November 2021, Sahpra then received an application from Pfizer to amend the dosing schedule for the Comirnaty® Covid-19 vaccine, allowing an optional third (booster) dose, said Sahpra in a statement on Wednesday.

Following evaluation of the data submitted, Sahpra has approved:

• A third dose of the Comirnaty® Covid-19 vaccine in individuals aged 18 years and older, to be administered at least 6 months after the second dose.
• A third dose of the Comirnaty® Covid-19 vaccine in individuals aged 12 years and older who are severely immunocompromised, to be administered at least 28 days after the second dose.

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