LATEST CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19 IN SOUTH AFRICA (08 September 2021)

The current surge in COVID-19 infections seems to be showing signs of a sustained downward trend. Today the institute reports 7 338 new COVID-19 cases that have been identified in South Africa, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 836 773. This increase represents a 13.3% positivity rate.

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.

“Although the total number of cases today is higher than yesterday (n= 5 372) and higher than the average number of new cases per day over the previous seven days, the number of new cases and positivity rate have decreased nationally compared to last week,” says NICD Acting Executive Director Prof Adrian Puren. While there have been provincial disparities in the timing and extent of the third resurgence, he adds that all nine provinces are currently exhibiting a drop in daily new cases. “The provinces of Gauteng and Limpopo have already met the end-of-wave threshold criteria.”

As per the National Department of Health, a further 253 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 84 152 to date.

16 878 061 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors as per the table below.

PROVINCIAL BREAKDOWN

The majority of new cases today are from KwaZulu-Natal (26%), followed by Western Cape (22%). Eastern Cape accounted for 17%; Free State accounted for 11%; Gauteng Province accounted for 8%; Northern Cape & North West each accounted for 5% respectively; Mpumalanga accounted for 4%, and Limpopo Province accounted for 2% of today’s new cases.

While the latest trends certainly provide some good news, Dr Michelle Groome, Head of the Division of Public Health Surveillance and Response cautions that “now is not the time for complacency”. She adds that wearing masks, hand hygiene and social distancing remain important measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

The number of hospitalisations and deaths have also decreased compared to last week. A total of almost 14 million vaccine doses have been administered, with over 10 million people fully vaccinated as of 7 September 2021 in South Africa. High vaccine coverage is essential to limit the impact of the virus on our lives and livelihoods in the coming months. “We all have a part to play by getting vaccinated and encouraging our family, friends and colleagues to do the same” appeals, Dr Groome.

The cumulative number of cases by province is shown in the table below:

THE 7-DAY MOVING AVERAGE NUMBER OF NEW CASES BY PROVINCE

The total number of cases today (n=7 338) is higher than yesterday (n= 5 372) and higher than the average number of new cases per day over the 7 preceding days (n=7 082)

The 7-day moving average daily number of cases has decreased

For more detailed information, visit the GIS Dashboard.

HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS
There has been an increase of 360 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours. The following table is a summary of reported COVID-19 admissions by sector.

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

Thank you for your interest and remember that adhering to preventative measures limits your risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19. For more information on COVID-19, click here.

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