Debbie Minnaar an assistant teacher at Alma School for mentally and physically disabled children receives the Covid-19 vaccination, 23 June 2021, Pretoria North Community Hall, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
As of Tuesday, South Africa has recorded a total of 2 219 316 positive cases of Covid-19, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has announced.
The country has also identified 12 537 new Covid-19 cases since the last report. This increase represents a 24.2% positivity rate.
The NICD said that 633 Covid-19 related deaths were recorded as per the National Department of Health, bringing total fatalities to 65 142 to date.
13 989 268 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.
Gauteng continues leading the number of new cases, with 50% of the national toll coming from the province.
It is followed by Western Cape (14%). KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and North West accounted for 7%; Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape accounted for 5% each; Free State accounted for 4%; and Northern Cape accounted for 1% of today’s new cases.
The Department of Health said that the vaccination programme was continuing in most provinces despite constant unrest and disruptions in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
It said that vaccines were being safely distributed to operational sites.
“Government and the private sector’s priority is to protect lives, and prevent harm to staff, patients and the medical supplies and property that form part of the vaccination programme. Consequently, Government and the private sector are adopting a precautionary principle, and will be temporarily closing some vaccination sites which have been damaged, or which may be at risk,” reads the statement.
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It said that people who had been scheduled to be vaccinated at sites in districts or areas that are affected by the unrest are advised to defer their vaccination.
“The Electronic Vaccine Data System (EVDS) will automatically reschedule appointments for those unable to attend; it is programmed to reschedule up to two missed appointments,” the statement said.
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