COVID-19 latest: SA reports 12 371 new reported cases, 271 deaths

South Africa recorded 12 371 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has said on Saturday. 

This brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 523 488. 

This increase of 8 791 new COVID-19 cases represents a 21.6 % positivity rate. 

A further 271 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 74 623 to date.

“The cumulative number of recoveries is 2,290 321.” 

An increase of 371 hospital admissions has been reported in the past 24 hours.

The Western Cape province is now in the lead with the majority of new cases: 3 746 (30%), followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 2 628 new cases (21%) and Gauteng with 1 986 new cases (16%) provinces. 

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15 031 457 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

There’s some good news on the vaccine front: The Sisonke Implementation Study has found that the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is effective against the Delta variant, which accounted for South Africa’s third wave and spread quite rapidly.

The results of the study were presented by its co-principal lead Professor Glenda Gray, on Friday, 6 August 2021. Gray said the findings indicate that there is great protection against COVID-19 hospitalisation and death.

“Protection is good against both the Beta and the Delta variant. There was 67% protection against hospitalisation with the Beta variant and 71% protection against hospitalisation with the Delta variant,” she said.

Gray said their data shows that there is better efficacy against Delta than there is against the Beta.

More than 477 000 healthcare workers were administered the J&J vaccine at the start of the trial back in February.

ALSO READ: Vaccine latest: J&J EFFECTIVE against Delta variant, study finds