By Kaya 959 News
For the second day in a row, South Africa has recorded an increase of more than 5000 new COVID-19 infections.
The Department of Health revealed on Thursday night that the current tally of confirmed cases in SA stands at 1 680 373.
The department said 5 361 new cases were recorded.
“We can also report that 54 Covid-related deaths were confirmed, taking the number of confirmed deaths to 56 765,” the department said.
Gauteng recorded the highest number of deaths, with 17 people having lost their lives to Covid-related illness while the Western Cape reported 14 deaths and the Free State, 12.
“Our recoveries now stand at 1 567 635, representing a recovery rate of 93,3%. The cumulative total of tests conducted to date is 11 757 176 with 43 776 new tests recorded since the last report,” the department said.
03 June 2021 #COVID19 statistics in South Africa #CoronaVirusSA pic.twitter.com/QbkjgzSV4E
— National Department of Health (@HealthZA) June 3, 2021
READ: COVID-19 third wave hits Gauteng
Gauteng experiences surge in cases
The day before, SA recorded 5 782 new cases.
The department said Gauteng is experiencing a greater surge than the rest of the country. It urged citizens to adhere to non-pharmaceutical measures – mask-wearing, keeping a safe social distance and washing hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer.
So far, 1 193 352 people have been vaccinated.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said it continues to observe a sustained increase in laboratory-confirmed cases.
NICD acting executive director, Professor Adrian Puren said the percent testing positive each day has also been steadily increasing – this reached 12.7% today nationally.
Four provinces have already entered the third wave of COVID-19 infections – Northern Cape Province, Free State Province, North West Province and most recently Gauteng province.
“This means that the seven-day moving average of case incidence has reached 30% of the previous peak in these provinces. We are also seeing sustained increases in case incidence in some districts in other provinces,” Puren said.
“As the pandemic continues into its second year, it is easy to become tired of the restrictions on our lives and social interactions, but it is very important for the public to remain vigilant at this time. We have vaccinated just over one million people in South Africa. “
Dr Michelle Groome, Head of the Division of Public Health Surveillance and Response at the NICD, said until such time as the majority of the population has been vaccinated, communities need to persevere with the current recommendations to limit the spread of the virus.
“Wear your mask, practice good hand hygiene – through washing and/or sanitising – maintain social distance and limit social interactions as much as possible. If you are 60 years and over, please register to get your vaccine or ask someone to help you to register,” she said.
According to the World Health Organization, as the risk of a surge in COVID-19 cases increases, African countries must urgently boost critical care capacity to prevent health facilities from being overwhelmed.
