SOUTH Africa recorded 449 new Covid-19 cases and 23 Covid-19-related deaths in the past 24 hours, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said in a statement released on Saturday.
The brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 919 332. This increase represents a 1.6% positivity rate.
“As per the National Department of Health, a further 23 Covid-19-related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 88 914 to date,” said NICD senior communications manager Sinenhlanhla Jimoh in the statement.
Jimoh said the the majority of new cases were from KwaZulu-Natal (20%), followed by the Western Cape (18%).
The Free State accounted for 15%; Gauteng and the Northern Cape each accounted for 10%; the North West for 9%; Mpumalanga for 8% and the Eastern Cape for 6%. Limpopo accounted for 4% of the new cases.
The seven-day moving average daily number of cases has decreased.
A total of 18 342 808 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.
There has been an increase of 32 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.
The NICD urged the public to take preventative measures such as getting vaccinated for Covid-19, wearing your mask properly to cover your nose, and to gather in ventilated spaces if you have to attend an event; otherwise avoid unnecessary gatherings. It also urged the public to keep a social distance of one metre or more and to wash your hands regularly in the day with soap and water.
IOL