Staff Reporter.
Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize said in a statement that total of 2 327 new Covid-19-related cases were identified in South Africa yesterday, seven more than on Wednesday.
This brought the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases to 1 498 766.
A total of 230 more deaths have been reported: Limpopo 122, KwaZulu-Natal 27, Eastern Cape 24, Gauteng 21, Western Cape 19, Mpumalanga 10 and Free State 7. No fatalities were reported in North West and the Northern Cape.
The total number of deaths now stand at 48 708. The number of recoveries has risen to 1 403 214, representing a recovery rate of 93.6%.
The cumulative total of tests conducted to date is 8 807 299, with 34 556 new tests recorded since the last report.
Meanwhile South Africa kick-started its first phase of the vaccination rollout programme using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Wednesday.
The first group of healthcare workers lined-up to receive the shot of the 80 0000 Johnson & Johnson vaccines that landed on Tuesday, which the department has described as a success.
Johnson & Johnson was tested in a large trial of almost 44 000 people from four continents, of whom 7 000 participants came from South Africa.
The study also provided a good picture of how the vaccine works against the new 501Y.V2 variant, which is dominant in South Africa and currently responsible for around nine in 10 of all COVID-19 infections detected during the second wave.
The South African trial showed that while the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not going to prevent mild symptoms, it provides 57% protection against moderate-severe disease, 85% protection against severe disease and 100% protection against death.
By way of comparison, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine provided only 27% protection against mild to moderate COVID-19 caused by the new 501Y.V2 variant.