SUSTAINED INCREASE IN COVID-19 CASES

22 November , 2021

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has observed an increase in the 7-day moving average for new COVID-19 cases and the percentage testing positive in Gauteng, particularly in Tshwane amongst 10 – 29 year olds over the past week.

Additionally, the NICD has recently identified a cluster amongst the 20 – 44 age group at an institute of higher education in Tshwane. “We are monitoring these trends to see if these increases persist,” comments NICD Acting Executive Director, Prof Adrian Puren. He continues, “Localised increases in case numbers (clusters) are not unexpected, however, it is hard to say whether the increases indicate the start of a widespread resurgence.”

Previous waves have been driven to a large extent by the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, Beta in the second wave and Delta in the third wave. “Genomic sequencing in South Africa has, to date, not yet detected the emergence of any new variants which are making up an increasing proportion of the sequences,” Puren adds.

There are some delays inherent in molecular sequencing, due to transport of samples and the time taken to process them. Regardless of potential new variants in the future, the importance of non-pharmaceutical interventions remains unchanged and individuals are encouraged to wear masks, practice hand hygiene, maintain social distancing and to gather in well ventilated spaces.

At present the National Department of Health reports that 41% of adults in South Africa have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with 35% fully vaccinated. “It is difficult to predict the magnitude and timing of a potential COVID-19 resurgence, however, we implore the unvaccinated to get the COVID-19 vaccine, especially the elderly and those with comorbidities,” stresses Head of the Division of Public Health Surveillance and Response, Dr Michelle Groome.

She furthermore adds that vaccination and prior infection provide good protection against developing severe disease, and while there might be an increase in future case numbers, the number of hospitalisations and deaths are expected to be less severe in comparison to previous resurgences.

“As the endemic endures, I would like to reassure the public that the NICD continues to acutely monitor trends in case numbers, positivity rates and hospitalisations,” Puren concludes.

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LATEST CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19 IN SOUTH AFRICA (22 NOVEMBER 2021)

• 22 November , 2021

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, continues to provide laboratory-based surveillance to inform the public health response towards COVID-19 in South Africa.

Today the institute reports 312 new COVID-19 cases that have been identified in South Africa, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2,930,174. This increase represents a 2.3% positivity rate. As per the National Department of Health, a further 10 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 89,584 to date.

19,126,699 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors as per the table below.

PROVINCIAL BREAKDOWN

The majority of new cases today are from Gauteng (77%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape each accounting for 5% respectively. Limpopo and Mpumalanga each accounted for 3% respectively; and Eastern Cape, Free State, North West and Northern Cape each accounted for 2% respectively of today’s new cases. The cumulative number of cases by province is shown in the table below:

*There may be discrepancies in the numbers of cases and recoveries reported for the Western Cape, as the Western Cape reporting currently includes re-infections and additional cases identified by antigen tests, which are not incorporated into the national line list for reporting. As a result, the number of recoveries for the Western Cape has been kept static on the national reports. We are working with Western Cape health authorities to align the reporting and resolve these discrepancies.

THE 7-DAY MOVING AVERAGE NUMBER OF NEW CASES BY PROVINCE

The proportion of positive new cases/total new tested today is 2.3% which is lower than yesterday (3.4%). The 7-day average is 2.2% today, which is higher than yesterday (2.0%).

For more detailed information, visit the GIS Dashboard.

HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS
There has been an increase of 37 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours. The following table is a summary of reported COVID-19 admissions by sector.

VACCINE UPDATE

For updates on the national vaccine programme, click here.

Thank you for your interest and remember that adhering to the following preventative measures helps to limit your risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.

• Getting vaccinated for COVID-19
• Wearing your mask properly to cover your nose
• Opting to gather in ventilated spaces
• Avoid unnecessary gatherings
• Keeping a social distance of one meter or more
• Washing your hands regularly in the day with soap and water

For more information on COVID-19, click here.

Statement issued by Sinenhlanhla Jimoh, Senior Communications Manager, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, 22 November 2021