This report summarises data from national laboratory-based surveillance that is used to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. This report is based on data collected up to 15 January 2022 (week 2 of 2022).  

Key highlights: 

• In the past week, a decrease in weekly incidence risk was observed in all provinces. The decrease in weekly incidence risk ranged from 12.2 cases per 100 000 persons (44.8% decrease) in Limpopo Province to 89.7 cases per 100 000 persons (48.0% decrease) in Western Cape Province.
• In the past week, the Western Cape Province reported the highest weekly incidence risk (97.0 cases per 100 000 persons), followed by the Northern Cape Province (80.9 cases per 100 000 persons). The other provinces reported below 50 cases per 100 000 persons.
• The highest weekly incidence risk among cases detected in week 2 of 2022 was reported in the ≥80-year age group (142.3 cases per 100 000 persons), and the lowest weekly incidence risk was in the 5-9-year age group (13.8 cases per 100 000 persons).

COVID-19 WEEKLY EPIDEMIOLOGICAL BRIEF WEEK 2 (2022)