(Johannesburg) The dramatic increase in new COVID-19 positive cases in South Africa, largely driven by the new variant Omicron, is of great concern, health officials noted in parliament on Wednesday.
“The degree of increase is of most concern,” said Dr.D Michelle Groome of the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD).
In two weeks, the country has seen an “exponential increase”, from just over 300 new cases per day on average over a seven-day period, to a thousand the following week, to more than 3,500 this week, a- she stressed.
From 2,273 new cases to 8,561 cases in 48 hours
On Wednesday evening, the NICD announced 8,561 new cases identified during the day, against 4,373 the day before and 2,273 on Monday across the country.
The country is “at the very beginning of its fourth wave”, but the positivity rate of the tests carried out climbed to 27% Wednesday in the province of Gauteng, the most populated and the most affected, especially around Pretoria.
The multiplication of positive cases is “largely due to the new variant” Omicron, now “dominant” since it represents the vast majority of new cases in South Africa, said the scientist during this presentation organized by the Ministry of Health.
Young people, 10-19 year olds, but also 20-29 year olds, who are celebrating the end of their school year in this southern spring, seem to be a driving force behind this spread. There are many more positive tests in these age groups than in the other categories, even if in recent days the infections “are moving towards the oldest”.
South Africa is the most affected country on the continent by the pandemic with nearly 3 million official cases, “an underestimated number, if we take into account the asymptomatic and those who for all kinds of reasons do not. are not going to be tested ”, underlined the Dre Groome.