SA reports 5 244 new COVID-19 infections

South Africa has reported 5 244 new COVID-19 cases, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 3 552 043. This increase represents a 13% positivity rate.

Due to the ongoing audit exercise by the National Department of Health (NDoH), there may be a backlog of COVID-19 mortality cases reported. Today, the NDoH reports 128 deaths and of these, 59 occurred in the past 24 – 48 hours. This brings the total fatalities to 93 117 to date.

Latest SA stats:

Gauteng out of fourth wave 

Earlier, Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla announced that Gauteng has officially exited the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Phaahla warned that despite a noted decrease in COVID-19 related deaths, the Omicron variant is highly transmissible.

He was speaking during a virtual media briefing on government’s efforts to fight the pandemic.

“Gauteng province has officially exited the fourth wave this week and all other provinces have reached their peaks, the other 8 provinces, and are now on a decline. Of note is the fact that the decline in new infections is not a steep decline as was the incline. So this virus rises steeply but it goes down slowly. But at least it is going down and that is encouraging.”