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By Citizen Reporter

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SA has 42,745 active cases of Covid-19

The US has recorded the most Covid deaths with 905,544, followed by Brazil with 632,621, India 504,062 and Russia 336,721.


South Africa currently has 42,745 active cases of Covid-19, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has announced.

This after the country on Tuesday reported 2,824 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3.628,014. 

This increase represents an 8.2% positivity rate, said thE NICD.

The majority of new cases today are from Gauteng (35%), followed by Kwa-Zulu Natal (16%). Western Cape accounted for 15%; Limpopo accounted for 8%; Free State, Mpumalanga and North West each accounted for 7% respectively; Eastern Cape accounted for 4%; and Northern Cape accounted for 1% of today’s new cases.

“Due to the ongoing audit exercise by the National Department of Health (NDoH), there may be a backlog of Covid-19 mortality cases reported. Today, the NDoH reports 268 deaths and of these, 20 occurred in the past 24 – 48 hours. This brings the total fatalities to 96,289 to date,” said the NICD.

22.515,686 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

There has been an increase of 101 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

– Canada trucker protests go on –

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vows to bring an end to a trucker protest still paralysing the capital Ottawa, as the movement against Covid-19 restrictions fast becomes a rallying cry for far-right and anti-vaccine groups.

– Pfizer profits double –

Pfizer forecasts more than $50 billion in 2022 sales for its Covid-19 vaccine and pill Paxlovid as it reports a more than doubling of annual profits on strong vaccine sales.

– China lockdown drives up aluminium –

Aluminium surges to a 14-year peak on stretched global supplies, particularly after China placed the city of Baise — a key producer of the base metal — in lockdown.

– Hong Kong crackdown –

Hong Kong imposes its strictest social distancing measures yet, capping gatherings to two families, as it struggles to maintain China’s “zero-Covid” policy amid an Omicron-fuelled spike in cases. 

ALSO READ: Sahpra approves Sinopharm vaccine

– France to lift tests for travellers –

France is to drop its requirement for a negative test for vaccinated travellers from outside the EU as daily infection numbers continue to fall.

– Jabs for 12-15-year- olds –

The EU’s medicines watchdog says it has started to evaluate Pfizer/BionTech’s coronavirus vaccine to booster children aged 12 to 15 years.

– Tour champion in Covid setback –

Double Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar of powerhouse Team UAE-Emirates contracted Covid last week, hindering his warm up for the World Tour race.

– Over 5.7 million deaths –

Coronavirus has killed at least 5.748,498 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources on Tuesday.

The US has recorded the most Covid deaths with 905,544, followed by Brazil with 632,621, India 504,062 and Russia 336,721.

Taking into account excess mortality linked to Covid-19, the WHO estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.

Additional reporting by AFP

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