SA records 12 885 new COVID-19 cases

South Africa has recorded 12 885 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24-hours, taking total infections to 2 435 036.

Two hundred and forty-eight COVID-19 related deaths have also been recorded, taking the total fatalities to 71 679.

Latest SA cases:

The country has tested almost 15 million for COVID-19 since the outbreak, with 55 715 in the last 24-hours.

Over 50-year-old men encouraged to be vaccinated

The Health Department’s Deputy Director-General, Dr Nicholas Crisp, has called on men over the age of 50 to ensure they get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Dr Crisp says the sector still needs to vaccinate several people in the older age groups.

“At least one out of 7 vaccinations during the month of August needs to be for people over the age of 60, and specifically a message for the men out there. We are not managing to reach that many men in the older age groups of 50. The men are not turning out in their numbers for vaccination, and we would really like to encourage men to come forward for vaccination.”

Enough doses

The Department of Health says there won’t be any COVID-19 vaccine shortages until the end of this year, as it has managed to procure enough doses.

There was a slight decrease this week in the number of administered inoculations due to low stock.

The department plans to reach seven million people over the age of 35 in August, of whom at least one million over the age of 60.

It will additionally prioritise uninsured people, and males whose turnout is very low, as Dr Crisp explains.

“JnJ, we expect to get 10 million doses, Pfizer, we should get 16 million doses. We have bought Pfizer COVAX and we hope we are going to get another Pfizer COVAX which is due in the next day or two which is a very substantial donation arriving from the US during the week and into the early parts of next week. We still have a lot of vaccine in our procurement, 19 million doses of JnJ and close to nine million of Pfizer.”