By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize said in a statement that the cumulative number of positive cases in South Africa has risen to 1 520 206.
This is an increase of 1 227 new Covid-19 cases since the last report.
Mkhize said the number of fatalities now stands at 50 647 after 81 more Covid-19 deaths were reported. Here’s a breakdown of the latest deaths:
Free State 8
Gauteng 29
Kwa-Zulu Natal 16
Northern Cape 16
Western Cape 12
The number of recoveries has risen to 1 439 515, representing a recovery rate of 94.7%.
To date, 9 236 503 tests have been conducted countrywide, with 29 156 new tests recorded since Friday.
Vaccination Rollout
The number of health care workers vaccinated under the Sisonke Protocol is 101 573 as of 6.30 pm on Saturday.
Meanwhile government is hoping that the rate of inoculation will increase from April as more vaccination doses are expected to arrive in the country this month.
Mkhize, said South Africa is expecting an extra 500 000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines between now and the end of March.
Also, about three million doses will arrive between April and June, while the remaining jabs will follow in the next two quarters of the year.
According to the Minister, the country is also anticipating about 600 000 Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to land in South Africa before the end of March.
“Between five and seven million are expected to arrive in April to June and after that, we should get more,” he told the National Press Club (NPC).
“Again, with Pfizer, we still need to sign the first agreement and confirm the second agreement,” he said, adding that the country has 20 million from the pharmaceutical company.
In addition, he announced that the COVAX facility will also be shipping about 600 000 jabs to the country.
Government is also still finalising discussions with Russia’s Sputnik V, which is currently undergoing the process of registration locally and China’s Sinopharm.
In the meantime, he said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has demonstrated to have the most effective action against the 501Y.V2 variant, first discovered in South Africa.
“The others such as Pfizer and Moderna have also demonstrated some degree of activity. However, that was demonstrated in a lab setting and not a clinical trial, so in the process are some of the considerations that we take into account as we go through the selection of vaccines.”
He has assured South Africans that the two vaccines, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer are the best to deal with 501Y.V2.
Mkhize added that the Oxford-AstraZeneca that was ordered from the Serum Institute of India (SII) is almost ready to be transported to the African Union (AU) countries.