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In today’s Covid-19 update, the majority of new infections are from the Western Cape (26%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), and Gauteng.
Here are the latest Covid-19 and Omicron updates.
As of Saturday, 8 January 2022, the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases stood at 3,521,572, with 7,759 new cases identified.
South Africa currently has 147,754 active cases, while a further 119 Covid-19-related deaths were reported. This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 92,371.
Recoveries now stand at 3,281,447, while hospital admissions increase by 126. During the past 24 hours, 40,882 tests were conducted, bringing the total to 21,527,936.
As per the National Institute For Communicable Diseases Of SA (NICD), the proportion of positive new cases (total new tested today) is 19.0%, which is lower than yesterday (20.2%).
The 7-day average is 20.6% today, which is lower than yesterday (21.7%).
The majority of new cases today are from Western Cape (26%), followed by Kwa-Zulu Natal (25%), while Gauteng accounted for 20%.
The Eastern Cape accounted for 11%, and the Free State, Mpumalanga, North West and Northern Cape each accounted for 4% respectively.
Meanwhile, Limpopo accounted for 3% of today’s new cases.
Omicron is causing record numbers of cases around the world, and though it causes less severe Covid-19 experts warn this wave still threatens to overwhelm health systems.
Six weeks after it was first sequenced in southern Africa Omicron cases are smashing infection records with average new daily cases at nearly two million this week, according to an AFP tally.
At the same time, the illness caused by the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is proving less severe.
Additional reporting by AFP.
READ MORE HERE: Omicron less severe but still threat to health systems
At the time of publishing, Covid-19 is affecting 222 countries and territories. The global caseload stands at 304,031,568, with the death toll at 5,499,418 and recoveries at 258,427,221.
The US is the worst affected country with 858,346 deaths from 60,464,426 cases. After the US, the hardest-hit countries are India with 483,463 deaths from 35,368,372 cases and Brazil with 619,878 deaths from 22,450,222 cases.
The UK recorded a total of 149,744 deaths from 14,193,228 cases since the start of the pandemic, while France recorded 125,206 deaths from 11,511,452 cases.
South Africa is currently 18th on the list, preceded by Ukraine, Mexico, Poland, Indonesia, Colombia, Argentina, Iran, Italy, Spain, Germany, Turkey and Russia.
Compiled by Cheryl Kahla.
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