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 18 September (week 37 of 2021). 

Key highlights: 

• In the past week, the Northern Cape Province reported the highest weekly incidence risk (114.5 cases per 100 000 persons), followed by the Free State Province (66.4 cases per 100 000 persons), and the Western Cape Province (55.4 cases per 100 000 persons).
• From week 34 to date, all provinces have been reporting a week on week decline in incidence. In the past week, compared to the previous week the decrease ranged from 5.6 cases per 100 000 persons (59.2% decrease) in the Limpopo Province to 80.2 cases per 100 000 persons (41.2% decrease) in the Northern Cape Province.
• The highest weekly incidence risk among cases detected in week 37 of 2021 was reported in the ≥80-year age group (64.4 cases per 100 000 persons), followed by 55-59-year age group (46.7 cases per 100 000 persons), and the lowest weekly incidence risk was in the 0-4-year age group (7.4 cases per 100 000 persons).

COVID-19 WEEKLY EPIDEMIOLOGICAL BRIEF WEEK 37 (2021)