The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) Dr Ridhwaan Suliman says all provinces in South Africa are now past the peak of the third wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) – with both the Northern Cape and the Free State now also on a downward trend.
However, Dr Suliman says the death rate from the third wave that is being driven by the Delta variant remains high.
He says the death rate trails the infection rate by a few weeks.
Dr Suliman says the country recorded 201 deaths on average per day over the last week, but while high, this is significantly down on the previous week.
“All of the provinces have surpassed the peaks of their third wave and are all on sustained downward declines. If we look at Gauteng and its neighbouring provinces, they peaked first and continued their sustained decrease. Gauteng by all indicators has exited the third wave and promisingly the coastal provinces which were lagging in this 3rd wave are on a decline as well,” says Dr Suliman.
For more on this, see video below:
Latest COVID-19 statistics in SA | 12 September 2021
