Covid-19 update: 26,976  new cases reported in SA

As of Wednesday, South Africa recorded 26,976 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3.231,031.

This was announced by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service.

“This increase represents a 32.2% positivity rate,” the institute said in a statement.

“As per the National Department of Health, a further 54 Covid-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 90,226 to date. 

“20.436,207 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.”

The majority of new cases on Wednesday were from Gauteng with (30%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (22%). Western Cape accounted for 17%; Eastern Cape accounted for 8%; Free State accounted for 6%; Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West each accounted for 5%; and Northern Cape accounted for 2% of today’s new cases.

Infections rising in Western Cape, while Northern Cape numbers stay low

Infections are on the rise in the Western Cape, with the province hitting an average of 2,000 daily cases.

The proportion positive has increased to an average of 38% and hospital admissions are showing signs of an early increase, with 65 admissions per day.

But the head of the province’s health department Dr Keith Cloete says patients seeking medical treatment for other conditions are testing positive for Covid-19 during routine examinations.

Meanwhile, deaths remain low, with less than one death per day.

National trends

All provinces continue to see steep increases in cases, except the Northern Cape, and they have reached the threshold of the fourth wave.

Rural districts in the Western Cape are also seeing increases in cases, except in Central Karoo, where the numbers are still very low.

The Western Cape is now experiencing a decline in demand for vaccinations.

So far, 46% of people are vaccinated in the province.

“Fewer people are presenting themselves for vaccines, which is problematic. Large amounts of unvaccinated people are in the younger age groups,” said Cloete.

The widening gap between cases and admissions – started in wave three but increased in wave four. This is most likely due to increasing immunity from vaccination and prior infection.

“In an unvaccinated person with no previous infection, there is no evidence to date that can prove Omicron is less severe than previous variants. We are still seeing some very sick patients,” Cloete.