Covid-19 update: Majority of new cases from Gauteng

The majority of new Covid-19 cases on Friday are from Gauteng, as the country identifies 2,828 new cases in the past 24 hours.

This brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2.955,328. This increase represents a 9.1% positivity rate.

The majority of new cases today are from Gauteng (77%), followed by Western Cape accounting for 5%. KwaZulu-Natal and North West each accounted for 4% respectively; Limpopo and Mpumalanga each accounted for 3% respectively; Free state accounted for 2%; and Eastern Cape and Northern Cape each accounted for 1% respectively of today’s new cases.

As per the National Department of Health, a further 12 Covid-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 89,783 to date.

19.348,954 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has announced.

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

Countries suspend flights from SA

Only 24 hours after the announcement of the new variant, countries have moved to either ban flights from South Africa or implemented measures that will only apply to travellers from southern Africa.

This despite the World Health Organization’s (WHO) warning against imposing travel bans over the new variant, calling for a risk-based and scientific approach when making decisions.

The UAE has suspended flights from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe from Monday until further notice

“Outbound passenger flights from Dubai to the countries listed above are permitted. Cargo/freighter operation between the countries listed above and Dubai are also permitted,” said the Dubai Covid-19 Command and Control Centre (CCC) in a statement on Friday.

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The Philippines on Friday also suspended flights from countries with cases of a new coronavirus variant that was first detected in South Africa, President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman said.

“(T)he temporary suspension of inbound international flights from South Africa, Botswana, and other countries with local cases or with the likelihood of occurrences of the B.1.1.529 variant… shall take effect immediately,” spokesman Karlo Nograles said in a statement.

Morocco on Friday also banned entry to travellers from seven southern African countries to block the spread of the new coronavirus variant detected in South Africa, the official MAP news agency reported.

Additional reporting by AFP