By Grace Audu –
Covid-19 cases are on the rise in South Africa, weeks before the projected fourth wave in December, according to the country’s national health laboratory office.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) reported a “sustained” increase in the number of infections over the past seven days, with the majority of cases found in Gauteng, which covers Johannesburg and Pretoria.
In a statement, NICD interim executive director Adrian Puren said, “We are monitoring these patterns to see if these increases remain.”
He said that while localised increases were expected, “it is hard to say whether the increases indicate the start of a widespread resurgence”.
South Africa, which has the largest caseload on the continent, has recorded nearly 2.93 million infections, with 687 new cases reported on Sunday, up from around 106 earlier this month.
Of the total cases, at least 89,574 have been fatal.
After a rather slow start, vaccination rates have picked up pace with 41 percent of adults in South Africa having received at least a single dose, while 35 percent are now fully vaccinated.
Pfizer has meantime applied to the country’s regulatory bodies for clearance of its third dose “booster” shot.
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority said in a statement Monday that it received the application last Wednesday and will start “assessment of data for the safety and efficacy of the third dose”
