[ad_1]
An illustration of the new coronavirus. (Getty)
- South Africa has a cumulative total of 954,258 cases as of Wednesday.
- All provinces except the Eastern Cape and Western Cape are reporting an increase in cases.
- The report is based on data collected up to December 19, 2020.
The Western Cape has recorded the highest proportion of new cases detected last week, according to the weekly report from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD).
The report is based on data collected through December 19, called week 51.
As of December 19, a total of 921,922 laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases had been detected in South Africa. Of these, 60,958 were cases notified since the last report.
The NICD said the Western Cape reported the highest risk of weekly incidents, 216.9 cases per 100,000 people, followed by KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Northern Cape, which had respectively 117.1, 104.3, 65 , 7 and 30.0 cases per 100,000 people. a trend similar to last week.
“The increase in the number of cases in the Western Cape in recent weeks was driven by a resurgence of Covid-19 cases reported mainly on Garden Route. The risk of incidence in week 50 (438.9 cases per 100,000 people) was greater than the maximum weekly incidence risk during the first wave (179.9 cases per 100,000 people) at week 30.
“All districts in the Western Cape reported weekly incidence risks in week 50 higher than those reported at the first wave peaks,” the report says.
According to the highlights of the report, all provinces also reported an increase in weekly incidence risk, except the Eastern Cape (63.4 cases per 100,000 people, a reduction of 37.8%) and the Western Cape (29 , 2 cases per 100,000 people, a reduction of 11.9%), which reported a decrease in the risk of weekly incidence, compared to the previous week.
READ | Help us stop the spread of Covid-19, urges the Western Cape government to religious leaders
As of Wednesday, South Africa had a cumulative total of 954,258 cases, with 14,046 new cases reported.
An additional 411 Covid-19-related deaths were reported: 101 in the Eastern Cape, three in the Free State, 34 in Gauteng, 90 in KwaZulu-Natal, six in Mpumalanga, six in the Northwest, and 171 in the Western Cape.
The death toll is now 25,657 deaths.
READ | SA’s Deadliest Covid-19 Hospitals: 7 of the 10 Worst-Performing Facilities in the East
The institute said that the increase in the number of new cases and the weekly incidence risk in KZN in the last two weeks was largely driven by a sharp increase in the number of new cases in six districts: eThekwini, iLembe, Ugu, Harry Gwala, uMgungundlovu and King Cetshwayo.
Three districts, eThekwini, iLembe and Harry Gwala, reported weekly incidence risks higher than those reported at the peaks of the first wave.
Gauteng, on the other hand, had been reporting an increased risk of incidence for more than three weeks.
The NICD said that nationally, the risk of weekly incidence of cases per 100,000 people has increased gradually over the past five weeks due to an increase in the number of new cases reported in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and , to a lesser extent, Gauteng.
He said:
“However, in the last week, increases in the number of cases have been observed in all provinces except the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. Travel during the holiday season could cause changes in the trends reported in different provinces during this period. Interprovincial travel at the current time, where increases in cases are observed in several provinces, could potentially increase the spread of Covid-19. “
The report also noted that it was important for people to maintain spreading prevention measures during the festive season, including limiting the number and size of social gatherings, gathering with others outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces, using constant and correct masks, the right hand. hygiene and physical distancing.
