Phaahla Confirms New COVID-19 Spike in Gauteng & other Provinces with High Positivity Rates
As the country enters the fourth wave of COVID-19 with the new Omicron variant, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said over the last seven days the new spike had moved into Gauteng with infections also rising in all nine provinces including the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga with high positivity rates.
Only the Free State and Northern Cape are still showing relatively low numbers.
Gauteng accounts for 72% to 80 % of new daily infections with the province not yet having reached a threatening stage of hospital capacity with new admissions.
Phaahla has appealed to all South Africans that the time has come to be more vigilant and apply all the health and safety measures including getting vaccinated.
“Remember that no one ever said vaccination will prevent the virus from entering our bodies, but that even if it does enter, we are 80-90% likely to have mild illness. Vaccination is not just an option but a matter of saving our lives, our livelihood and the lives of our gallant health workers and the nation as a whole.”
Phaahla says the country know the fourth wave was coming but did not know how soon and what special characteristics it would come with.
