The national Department of Health says it has observed a slight increase in new COVID-19 infections as a result of less severe Omicron sub-variants.
Spokesperson Foster Mohale says the department is monitoring new infections in various provinces including Gauteng, Limpopo, and the Eastern Cape.
Mohale has urged members of the public to continue observing some of the COVID-19 safety measures.
“As the Department of Health, we can confirm that there is a slight increase in the number of COVID-19-positive cases and natural deaths in some parts of the country, especially in provinces like the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, and the Western Cape. This is a confirmation that the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions does not mean that the pandemic is over. This is also evidence that many people are still being infected and the COVID-19 is still very much around us,” says Mohale.
Mohale says there has not been a new variant of COVID-19 detected in the country.
“It’s still early for the public to panic because the latest infections are driven by less severe existing variants known as BA4 and BA5, therefore there is no new variant of concern detected in South Africa. However the level of immunity is fairly high around the country,” says Mohale.
No new Covid-19 Variant has been detected yet in SA: Minister Phaahla 9 May 2022:
