Covid-19 update: 201 new deaths bring SA’s total to 87,417

As of Tuesday, South Africa has recorded 87,417 Covid-19 related deaths, with 201 new deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has announced.

The country has also recorded 1,367 new Covid-19 cases, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2.898,888.

This increase represents a 8.6% positivity rate.

The majority of new cases today are from KwaZulu-Natal (27%), followed by Western Cape (18%), Eastern Cape and Gauteng Province accounted for 14% each; Free State accounted for 12%; Northern Cape accounted for 5%; Mpumalanga and North West accounted for 4% each; and Limpopo accounted for 2% of today’s new cases.There has been an increase of 158 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

17,603,913 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

– Russia’s new record –

Russia records its highest daily virus death toll yet, with 852 fatalities, following an increase in cases linked to the Delta variant and a lacklustre vaccination drive.

– Tokyo ends emergency –

A pandemic state of emergency targeting nightlife in Tokyo and other Japanese regions will end this week, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says, as cases nosedive nationwide.

– Sanofi halts work on vaccine –

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi says it is stopping work on an mRNA vaccine against Covid-19 despite positive test results as it lags behind rivals on producing a shot.

– Pfizer trial –

US pharmaceutical company Pfizer says it has begun a clinical trial to test an influenza vaccine designed with the same mRNA technology behind its successful Covid-19 shot.

– Jabs for kids in Philippines –

The Philippines has approved jabs for children as young as 12, an aide to President Rodrigo Duterte says, as the country battles surging infections fuelled by the Delta variant.

– More than 4.7 million dead –

The coronavirus has killed at least 4,752,875 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data. 

The US is the worst-affected country with 690,426 deaths, followed by Brazil with 594,653, India with 447,373, Mexico 275,676 and Russia with 205,531.

Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were the US with 2,403, followed by Russia with 852 and Iran with 289.

Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde. Additional reporting by AFP