Durban - More than one on four people who are tested for Covid-19 are infected with the virus, data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) shows.
According to the NICD, 12 513 new Covid-19 cases were reported in South Africa on Monday which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 075 409.
This increase represents a 31.6% positivity rate – which is more than 1 in 4 people testing positive for Covid-19.
It comes amid the National Department of Health reporting a further 331 Covid-19-related deaths, taking South Africa’s death toll to 62 171.
An increase of 566 hospital admissions have been reported in the past 24 hours.
As has been the trend in the past few weeks, most new infections have been in Gauteng (60% of new infections), followed by the Western Cape (10%). Limpopo accounted for 7%, KwaZulu-Natal 6% and North West and Mpumalanga each 5%.
However, according to the latest graph, Gauteng has seemingly reached its peak and signs were that it was on a downward trend.
It's turning!! 🤞🤞#Rid1TweetsOnCovid #Gauteng #3rdWave #COVID19SA pic.twitter.com/JVLAtypO1H
— Ridhwaan Suliman (@rid1tweets) July 5, 2021
The Eastern Cape accounted for 3%, the Free State 2% and the Northern Cape 1% of the new cases.
On Monday the Department of Health said it was ramping up the country’s vaccine roll-out, saying people over the age of 50 will no longer have to wait until July 15 to register on the EVDS system to be vaccinated.
In addition, private sites such as Dis-Chem and Discovery will can now start vaccinating people without medical aid after a commitment was made by the government to reimburse them.
Gauteng has begun a mobile vaccination campaign in Tshwane, Ekhuruleni and Johannesburg. The elderly will be transported free to vaccination sites.
The health department said that mobile vaccination sites will be set up at Sassa pay points and shopping centres with more sites to come on board.
Gauteng has directed all public sites to accept walk-ins of anyone aged 50 and over.
On the day that the country’s police force began to get vaccinated, a total 3 459 660 people had been vaccinated with at least one dose of the vaccine.
IOL