Covid-19 update: SA records 5,062 new cases and 15 deaths

South Africa has identified 5,062 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours and cases continue continue to rise, bringing the total number of active cases in the country to 34, 150.

This brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3.769,927. This increase represents an 18.4% positivity rate, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, said on Tuesday.

The majority of new cases today are from Gauteng (46%), followed by Kwa-Zulu Natal (29%). Western Cape accounted for 11%; Free State and Eastern Cape each accounted for 4% respectively; Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West each accounted for 2% respectively; and Northern Cape accounted for 1% of today’s new cases. 

The country has also recorded 15 deaths and of these, 6 occurred in the past 24 – 48 hours. This brings the total fatalities to 100,348 to date.

“Due to the ongoing audit exercise by the National Department of Health (NDoH), there may be a backlog of Covid-19 mortality cases reported,” said the NICD.

24.370,285 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

There has been an increase of 83 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Monday said it was concerned the Gauteng Department of Health lacked effective leadership as Covid cases shot up in the province, in a likely fifth wave of infections ahead of the winter season.

Covid-19 fifth wave

DA MPL and spokesperson for health in Gauteng, Jack Bloom, said in March the acting head of the department Dr Sibongile Zungu left for undisclosed reasons, with her post remaining unfilled.

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Bloom also raised concerns that the department had not had a permanent head since Professor Mkhululi Lukhele resigned in October 2020, after he was implicated in the misspending of personal protective equipment (PPE) funds.

“Other senior posts, including a chief financial officer, are still filled by acting personnel,” Bloom said in a statement.

Gauteng has been recording an increase in Covid-19 infections over the last few days.

Additional reporting by Thapelo Lekabe

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