Covid-19 update: 1,867 new cases reported in SA

South Africa has identified 1,867 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 3.688,423.

This increase represents a 6.5% positivity rate, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has announced.

The majority of new cases today are from Gauteng (37%), followed by Western Cape (26%). Kwa-Zulu Natal accounted for 15%; Free State, Mpumalanga and North West each accounted for 5% respectively; Eastern Cape accounted for 4%; Limpopo accounted for 3%; and Northern Cape accounted for 1% of today’s new cases. 

“Due to the ongoing audit exercise by the National Department of Health (NDoH), there may be a backlog of Covid-19 mortality cases reported. Today, the NDoH reports 13 deaths and of these, 10 occurred in the past 24 – 48 hours. This brings the total fatalities to 99,656 to date,” said the NICD.

23.314,522 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

There has been an increase of 60 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

Covid-19: Latest global developments

– Pandemic not yet over: UN –

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres says the pandemic is not yet over and could be prolonged further due to “scandalously unequal” vaccine distribution.

– Austria ends obligatory jabs –

Austria suspends mandatory vaccinations for all adults saying the pandemic no longer poses the same danger just weeks after it became the first European Union country to adopt such a law.

– Hong Kong calms fears –

Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam says that mandatory testing of the entire population is no longer a priority after fears of a strict Chinese-style citywide lockdown triggered panic.

– Six million dead –

Covid-19 has killed at least 6.011,769 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally based on official sources on Wednesday.

The United States has recorded the most Covid deaths with 961,935, followed by Brazil on 652,829 and India with 515,355.

Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid, the WHO estimates the true death toll could be two to three times higher.

Additional reporting by AFP