Decrease in new Covid-19 infections sees SA firmly on downward slope

Former member of Parliament Omie Singh takes a Covid test at Rydalvale Sports ground in Phoenix. Picture: Zanele Zulu/African News Agency (ANA)

Former member of Parliament Omie Singh takes a Covid test at Rydalvale Sports ground in Phoenix. Picture: Zanele Zulu/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Jan 26, 2021

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DURBAN - South Africa is nearing the end of its second Covid-19 wave, this is according to co-chair of the Covid-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee, Professor Salim Abdool Karim.

Speaking during an interview on SABC on Tuesday, he said the country was now firmly on a downward slope.

"When we look at the data we have right now on the cases, we reached our peak, close to about 20 000 cases on January 8, since then, for the last 14 days or so, we have seen a continual and systematic decline in cases. This is occurring in most of our provinces. We are now, from all the indicators we see, firmly on the downward slope," he said.

Meanwhile, according to the latest update from the Health Ministry, SA has recorded 6 041 new Covid-19 cases taking the country's cumulative number of cases to 1 423 578.

Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, confirmed that the country's coronavirus-related death rate had increased to 41 797 with 680 more deaths recorded.

Eastern Cape - 86

Free State - 28

Gauteng - 141

KwaZulu-Natal - 306

Limpopo - 4

Mpumalanga - 18

Northern Cape - 2

and Western Cape - 95

"Our recoveries now stand at 1 254 674, representing a recovery rate of 88%. The cumulative total of tests conducted to date is 8 058 768 with 39 529 new tests conducted since the last report," Mkhize said.

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