Professor of Vaccinology at Wits University, Shabir Madhi, says they will only know whether the country is approaching the fourth wave of coronavirus infections if the positivity rate reaches more than 10% for two consecutive weeks.

Earlier, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said the coronavirus positivity rate had increased yet again to 3.4%.

There has been a steady increase in the rate, which is a measure of whether the spread of the virus is under control.

Professor Madhi says the rise in the positivity rate comes as no surprise.

He says, “There is a sign that we are going up in the wrong direction but to some extent, it’s not completely unsurprising because we are anticipating another resurgence up to about six months from the start of the previous one. It’s difficult to predict how quickly it will go up but from two to three weeks from now, we probably will reach a ten percent threshold of positivity.”

Director of KwaZulu-Natal Research and Innovation Sequencing  Platform , Professor Tulio de Oliveira speaking on Morning Live about the possibility of a 4th wave:

Fourth wave

Earlier this month, Health Minister Dr. Joe Phaahla said the fourth wave of COVID-19 is expected around late December or early January.

Phaahla says the department has already started preparations for the anticipated rise in new infections.

In the video below, Phaahla addresses the press briefing: