Covid-19 update: SA records 8,561 new cases

As of Wednesday, South Africa has recorded a total of 2.976,613 positive cases of Covid-19, with 8,561 new cases identified in the past 24 hours.

This increase represents a 16.5% positivity rate. 

The majority of new cases today are from Gauteng (72%), followed by Western Cape (7%). KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 6%. Mpumalanga and North West each accounted for 4% respectively. Limpopo 3%, Free State 2% and Eastern Cape 1%. Northern Cape accounted for less than 1% of today’s new cases.

As per the National Department of Health, a further 28 Covid-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 89,871 to date, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has announced.

19.529,031 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

There has been an increase of 135 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

Ballito Rage cancelled due to Covid-19 cases

KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has welcomed the cancellation of the Ballito Rage 2021 Festival, saying that no potential super-spreader event that could lead to the overwhelming of the Province’s healthcare system should be allowed to go ahead.  

The festival started on Tuesday and was scheduled to have continued until 5 December 2021 after guests and staff tested positive for Covid-19.

“From October, we have been working with the organisers to find the best way to manage this event. But because we could not close it down ourselves at the time, we agreed that we’d manage the numbers according to the regulations. We agreed that within that process, there will be certain protocols that are in place, such as that the participants would have to produce a vaccination certificate proving they’re negative. They would get screened and tested on site. Yesterday morning, 10 tested positive out of  about 50,” Simelane in a statement on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Ballito Rage cancelled after guests, staff test positive for Covid-19

“We then went back to the organisers and decided to relook at the plan. When we tested more participants during the day, the number exceeded 35. That’s when we realised that we needed to engage with the organisers about the need to close down this event. We are thankful for their co-operation. When we spoke to them about the fact that they could not continue, they agreed with us.”