The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says 3 056 new COVID-19 cases have been identified in South Africa, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3 652 024.

This increase represents an 8.8% positivity rate, said the institute.

A total of 22 796 653 tests have been conducted in both the public and private sectors.

The majority of new COVID-19 cases are from Gauteng (37%), followed by the Western Cape (18%).

KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 14%; North West accounted for 10%; Mpumalanga accounted for 8%; Free State accounted for 5%; Eastern Cape accounted for 4%; Limpopo accounted for 3%; and Northern Cape accounted for 2% of the new cases.

There has been an increase of 92 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

The institute, a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, said the National Department of Health reported 435 deaths and of these, 17 occurred in the past 24 to 48 hours. This brings the total fatalities to 97 955 to date.

“Due to the ongoing audit exercise by the National Department of Health, there may be a backlog of COVID-19 mortality cases reported,” said the NICD.

The total number of vaccines administered in South Africa is 30 858 874.

Source: South African Government News Agency