Friday | August 13, 2021
South Africa has confirmed 14, 271 new Covid-19 infections in the past 24-hour reporting cycle. A total of 473 Covid-19 related deaths have been reported by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) as well.
This is a shocking jump in cases since the end of level 4 lockdown restrictions two weeks ago during the 3rd wave of the global pandemic.
On the latest Covid-19 figures, the following provinces are behind this surge – having contributed the bulk of the cases:
Western Cape (3, 701),
KwaZulu-Natal (3, 603),
Gauteng (2, 259) and
Eastern Cape (1, 546).
Other provinces’s daily reported cases in the past 24 hours are:
Mpumalanga (876),
Free State (779),
North West (731),
Limpopo (425) and
Northern Cape (351).
Of a huge concern, Covid-19 deaths have remained consistently high in this country leading to more than 5, 000 people who succumbed to scourge in the past two weeks.
As of 12 August 2021, the total number of cumulative Covid-19 infections in South Africa stands at 2, 568, 511 and 76, 247 deaths.
To date, there are 205, 365, 949 Covid-19 cases and 4,333,457 deaths confirmed around the world, a report from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center shows. Of these staggering numbers, the United States accounts for 36, 337, 788 Covid-19 infections and a death tally of 619, 223, according to this source.
It is understood that the current Delta variant first reported in India is flaming numbers and is the most dominant strain around the world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States of America Aug. 6, 2021 update, “the Delta variant was more infectious and was leading to increased transmissibility when compared to other variants, even in vaccinated individuals.”
Writing for The New York Times on Aug. 12, 2021, Apoorva Mandavilli said:
“Citing new evidence that vaccinated Americans with so-called breakthrough infections can carry as much coronavirus as unvaccinated people do, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month urged residents of high-transmission areas to wear masks in public indoor spaces, regardless of their vaccination status.”
A breakthrough infection is seen as “cases in which a person vaccinated against COVID-19 nonetheless becomes infected with the virus”, a definition published by VCU Health on Aug. 2, 2021 citing Dr. Michelle Doll.
As various vaccination drives gather momentum across the world, South Africa is continuing with its inoculation efforts targeting the over 35 years of age at the moment. On Sept. 1, the 18-34 cohort will receive its first vaccine jabs.