Picture File: Limpopo health department screens travellers to Limpopo ahead of the national lockdown at the Mantsole Weighbridge on March 25, 2020 in Polokwane, South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says there are 2,267 (7.5% positivity rate) new Covid-19 cases in the country. At least 30,419 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.
On Saturday the national Department of Health reported 319 deaths and of these, nine occurred between the past 24 – 48 hours, bringing total fatalities to 98,617 to date.
NICD is a division of the National Health Laboratory Service and has been monitoring the Covid-19 outbreak since the start of the pandemic.
As of Friday, 18 February, the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases in South Africa is 3,654,824 with 2,800 new cases identified, the NICD confirmed.
At the same time, Deputy President David Mabuza warned South Africans that Covid-19 remains a death sentence, even though the country has seen a gradual downturn in the number of new daily cases and daily death figures.
He was speaking in Mpumalanga on Friday in his capacity as chair of the inter-ministerial committee on Covid-19 vaccines.
“[We] need to acknowledge that Covid-19 will continue to be with us for the foreseeable future,” he said.
Hong Kong said on Friday it would postpone picking the city’s new leader and was preparing to test the entire population for Covid-19 as it struggles to tackle a wave of infections.
The Chinese financial hub is currently in the throes of its worst-ever coronavirus outbreak, registering thousands of cases a day with hospitals reaching breaking point and a Beijing-mandated zero-Covid policy collapsing.
A small committee of Beijing loyalists had been set to choose the city’s new chief executive in late March, with the nomination period for candidates beginning Sunday.
But current leader Carrie Lam on Friday announced the selection would now need to be pushed back to 8 May.
“The decision is due to Hong Kong facing the most severe situation since the pandemic began two years ago. It is a critical situation,” she told reporters.
Compiled by Narissa Subramoney. Additional reporting by AFP
NOW READ: Cabinet approves State of Disaster extension until 15 March
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
