COVID-19 latest: South Africa records 17 958 new cases, 157 deaths

South Africa has recorded 17 958 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the Department of Health has said. 

TOTAL NUMBER OF CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASES IN SA NOW 1,913,861

According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) this brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 1,913,861. 

This increase of 17,958 new COVID-19 cases represents a 25.6 % positivity rate. 

A further 157 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 59 778 to date.

“The cumulative number of recoveries is 1 702 070. The recovery rate is 88,9%.” 

An increase of 449 hospital admissions has been reported in the past 24 hours.

Gauteng once again recorded the highest number of new reported COVID-19 infections, with 11 303 of the cases being picked up in the province.

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 A total number 12 912 828 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

PRESIDENT TO ADDRESS THE NATION ON SUNDAY

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation on Sunday at 8 pm.

This comes after his meeting with the National Coronavirus Command Council and as the country battles a third coronavirus wave.

The president will deliver a televised speech – his third one in the past four weeks – as South Africa’s coronavirus crisis continues to spiral out of control. In the last month, Mzansi has entered its third wave of infections and plummeted down two lockdown levels.

On Saturday, we had it confirmed that the Delta variant – a more transmissible and dangerous mutation of COVID-19 – is becoming dominant within our borders. Over the last few weeks, more new infections have been caused by Delta than any other strains. Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said that Gauteng is being ravaged by this variant, too.

ALSO READ: ‘Delta variant is in Gauteng, and it’s spreading rapidly’ – expert