Covid-19 update: 418 new deaths reported in SA

As of Thursday, South Africa has recorded a total of 2.796,405 positive cases of Covid-19, with 9,203 new cases identified since the last report, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has announced.

This increase represents a 16.1% positivity rate.

According to the institute, 418 Covid-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 82.914 to date.

16.593,467 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

The majority of new cases today are from KwaZulu-Natal (29%), followed by Western Cape (20%). Eastern Cape accounted for 18%; Free State and Gauteng Province each accounted for 8% respectively; Northern Cape accounted for 6%; Mpumalanga accounted for 5%; North West accounted for 4%; and Limpopo Province accounted for 2% of today’s new cases.

There has been an increase of 437 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

– Africa missing ‘crucial’ goal –

Most African countries are set to miss the “crucial” goal of vaccinating the most vulnerable ten percent of their populations against Covid-19 by the end of the month, the World Health Organization warns.

– Norway postpones reopening –

Norway again postpones the full lifting of its health restrictions as Covid-19 infections reach record highs and says it will open vaccination to 12- to 15-year-olds. 

– Abu Dhabi lifts quarantine –

Abu Dhabi lifts its quarantine requirement for vaccinated tourists as the UAE records zero Covid deaths for the first time since November.

– US jobless at pandemic low –

New US unemployment benefit filings dropped to a fresh pandemic low last week, a positive sign for the labour market as it faces renewed disruptions from the Delta variant.

– North Korea rejects China jabs –

UNICEF says North Korea has rejected around three million doses of a Chinese vaccine, suggesting they should be given to countries in greater need.

– Cyprus booster jabs –

Cyprus will give Covid-19 booster jabs to those over 65 and care home residents whose full vaccination is more than six months old, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantelas says.

– More than 4.5 million dead –

The coronavirus has killed at least 4,529,715 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 642,081 deaths, followed by Brazil with 581,150, India with 439,529, Mexico 260,503 and Peru 198,329.

Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were the United States with 2,178 new deaths, followed by Mexico with 1,177.