By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases is 1,557,527 with 1,285 new cases identified.
Mkhize said a further 30 people have succumbed to the virus bringing the total death toll to 53 256.
Gauteng recorded the highest number of deaths with 11 followed by Mpumalanga with 8, KZN 5 and Eastern Cape 1. Limpopo, North West, Northern Cape and Western Cape all recorded zero Covid-19 related deaths.
The minister added that the recoveries now stand at 1,482,682 representing a recovery rate of 95%.
The number of health care workers vaccinated under the Sisonke Protocol is 288 406.
South Africans will be able to electronically register to be vaccinated against the coronavirus from April 16 through the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS), the Department of Health announced on Friday.
Mkhize on Friday said that his department did not know when the third wave could hit the country, but said maintained it remained a big risk.
Mkhize said that there was no way of telling whether the next wave would be orchestrated by the 501Y.V2 or whether there will be a new variant.
“It’s important for us to always be aware that it remains that we will have, but we don’t have concrete information as to when that is likely to happen and we have no reason to think that it will not happen in South Africa,” Mkhize said.
He said that it was important for South Africans to stick to the basic containment measures such as the use of masks, social distancing, sanitisers, hand washing, avoiding overcrowded and poorly ventilated spaces as the country heads into the winter season.
What the scientists have indicated in the past is that mutations function off a rapid transmission, so the faster infection is transmitted the quicker it creates mutation of those variants. So we won’t be able to tell what the next situation will be like.
“However, we have been pretty comfortable with the fact that the last wave, up to February, almost 99% of all the infections were due to the 501Y.V2 and on that basis our vaccines should be fairly adequate in dealing with it,” said Mkhize.