LATEST CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19 IN SOUTH AFRICA (19 DECEMBER 2021)

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, continues to provide laboratory-based surveillance to inform the public health response towards COVID-19 in South Africa.

Today the institute reports 15,465 new COVID-19 cases that have been identified in South Africa, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3,308,074. This increase represents a 30.7% positivity rate. As per the National Department of Health, a further 3 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 90,348 to date. 

20,690,811 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors as per the table below.

Sector Total tested New tested
Private 11,152,350 53.9% 32,391 64.3%
Public 9,538,461 46.1% 17,986 35.7%
Total 20,690,811 100.0% 50,377 100.0%

PROVINCIAL BREAKDOWN
The majority of new cases today are from KwaZulu-Natal (27%), followed by Gauteng (23%). Western Cape accounted for 18%; Eastern Cape accounted for 8%; Free State accounted for 7%; Mpumalanga accounted for 6%; Limpopo and North West each accounted for 4% respectively; and Northern Cape accounted for 2% of today’s new cases. The cumulative number of cases by province are shown in the table below:

Province Total cases for 18 December 2021 Adjusted numbers after harmonisation Updated total cases on 18 December 2021 New cases on 19 December 2021 Total cases for

19 December 2021

Percentage total
Eastern Cape 310,118 0 310,118 1,303 311,421 310,118
Free State 180,112 0 180,112 1,104 181,216 180,112
Gauteng 1,101,870 1 1,101,871 3,582 1,105,453 1,101,870
KwaZulu-Natal 569,299 1 569,300 4135 573,435 569,299
Limpopo 135,732 0 135,732 573 136,305 135,732
Mpumalanga 169,749 -2 169,747 921 170,668 169,749
North West 171,563 0 171,563 661 172,224 171,563
Northern Cape 97,800 0 97,800 337 98,137 97,800
Western Cape 556,366 0 556,366 2,849 559,215 556,366
Total 3,292,609 0 3,292,609 15,465 3,308,074 3,292,609

THE 7-DAY MOVING AVERAGE NUMBER OF NEW CASES BY PROVINCE
The proportion of positive new cases/total new tested today is 30.7% which is higher than yesterday (28.8%). The 7-day average is 31.3% today, which is higher than yesterday (31.0%).

For more detailed information, visit the GIS Dashboard.

HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS
There has been an increase of 87 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours. The following table is a summary of reported COVID-19 admissions by sector.

Sector Facilities Reporting Admissions
to Date
Died to Date Currently Admitted
Private 259 209,200 37,591 3,106
Public 407 246,152 57,747 4,845
TOTAL 666 455,352 95,338 7,951

VACCINE UPDATE
For updates on the national vaccine programme, click here.

Thank you for your interest and remember that adhering to the following preventative measures helps to limit your risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.

  • Getting vaccinated for COVID-19
  • Wearing your mask properly to cover your nose
  • Opting to gather in ventilated spaces
  • Avoid unnecessary gatherings
  • Keeping a social distance of one meter or more
  • Washing your hands regularly in the day with soap and water

For more information on COVID-19, click here.

Kind regards,
Sinenhlanhla Jimoh, Senior Communications Manager
National Institute for Communicable Diseases

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