Covid-19 update: 24,270 new cases recorded in SA

As of Friday, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa is 2,019,826, with 24,270 new cases recorded since the last report.

According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), today’s increase represents a 27.4% positivity rate.

Gauteng province again accounts for the majority of new cases (59%), followed by the Western Cape (11%), North West and KwaZulu-Natal (7% ).

An increase of 627 hospital admissions have been reported in the past 24 hours.

A further 303 Covid-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 61,332.

13,298,239 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors as per the table below.

Delta variant becoming the dominant variant in the country

Addressing a virtual press briefing on Friday morning, Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said the Covid-19 situation in the country remains of great concern as the numbers continue to increase at a very rapid rate.

In the previous report, there were 21 584 new cases, which is higher than the average number of new cases per day over the 7 preceding days measured at 16 916 cases.

The positivity testing rate has also increased from 27.6% the previous day to 28.4%.

“We remain very worried about the rise in the hospitalisations which is putting a lot of strain in the health facilities in Gauteng,” she said.

“The private health hospitals are currently operating at more 100% capacity and the public health hospital are edging closer to full capacity.”

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Kubayi-Ngubane said trends clearly shows that other provinces will experience what is happening in Gauteng, with the Western Cape and Eastern Cape  most likely to be next.

Nationally the numbers have surpassed the first wave peak and we are likely to surpass the second wave peak, she said.

The Delta variant, first sampled in India in October 2020, is becoming the dominant variant in the country, replacing both the Alpha and the Beta variants.

Evidence also shows that the Delta is more transmissible than previously circulating viruses and other variants of concern, she said.

“Again, let me appeal to all South Africans to work with us in the fight against the pandemic and thank all those who have been complying with the regulations that are aimed at containing the spread of the virus,” said Kubayi-Ngubane.