By Kaya 959 Reporter
South Africa has passed the peak of the COVID-19 fourth wave.
The Presidency says cases have declined in all provinces, except for the Western Cape and Eastern Cape.
“The information gathered through the system used by the Department of Health has reported a 29.7% decrease in the number of new cases detected in the week ending 25 December compared to the number of new cases detected in the previous week,” says Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele.
The latest update comes in the wake of the Cabinet’s decision to scrap the curfew. Officials have also increased the number of people allowed to gather.
There has also been an update to the times at which alcohol can be sold.
READ: 9 Fireworks laws in SA that must be followed
Hospital admissions decline
Gungubele says there has also been a decline in hospital admissions in most provinces.
“This means that the country has a spare capacity for admission of patients even for routine health services,” he says.
Gungubele says the National Coronavirus Command Council will continue to closely monitor the situation and will make further adjustments as necessary, particularly if pressure on health facilities increases.
“The wearing of masks in public places is still mandatory, and failure to wear a mask when required remains a criminal offence. South Africans are urged to continue observing basic health protocols to prevent the transmission of the virus,” the Minister says.
On Thursday, SA recorded 12 979 more COVID-19 cases.
The country now has a total of 3 446 532 confirmed cases with a death toll of 91 061. The majority of Thursday’s new cases were from KwaZulu-Natal (27%), followed by Western Cape (26%).
Gauteng accounted for 17%; Eastern Cape accounted for 12%; Free State accounted for 5%; North West accounted for 4%; while Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Northern Cape each accounted for 3% respectively.



