South Africa administered 187 003 COVID-19 vaccines in the past 24 hours, pushing the total to 16 560 718 doses since the rollout of the vaccination campaign in the country.

According to the Department of Health, 110 847 people were fully vaccinated on Wednesday.

This means there are now 8 228 296 adults who have fully vaccinated, while 11 986 965 have received at least one dose of the Johnson & Johnson or Pfizer vaccine.

However, Dr Michelle Groome, the Head of the Division of Public Health, Surveillance and Response at the NICD, said while vaccination coverage is increasing amid stable vaccine supply, South Africa has not yet vaccinated the majority of the adult population.

“Some 30% of the adult population have received at least one vaccine dose and in the coming months, we need to prioritise the vaccine rollout, especially to those at risk for severe COVID-19 disease and those with underlying comorbidities,” she said.

In addition, Groome said mask-wearing, social distancing and hand hygiene remain the main preventative strategies until the country’s vaccine coverage rates increase.

Meanwhile, the NICD reported 2 967 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 889 298.

The latest data shows that the national seven-day moving average of daily case numbers, positivity rate and testing rate continue to decrease, with sustained decreases seen in all provinces.

“Gauteng, Limpopo and North West provinces have exited the third wave, according to the current wave definitions. There are also sustained decreases in COVID-19 hospitalisations and deaths in all provinces,” said Groome.

While these trends are encouraging, Groome has warned that citizens should not let their guard down.

A further 124 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing the tally to 86 500 to date, while 142 more people were admitted to the hospital in the past 24 hours.

The information is based on the 17 452 783 tests, 42 579 of which were conducted since the last reporting cycle.

According to the World Health Organisation, there have been 229 373 963 confirmed global cases of COVID-19, including 4 705 111 deaths reported since the outbreak.

Source: South African Government News Agency