29 July 2021
Statement
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, continues the monitoring and surveillance of COVID-19 in order to inform the public health response.
Today the institute reports 13 751 new COVID-19 cases that have been identified in South Africa, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 422 151. This increase represents a 24.6% positivity rate.
As per the National Department of Health, a further 523 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 71 431 to date.
14 750 901 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors as per the table below.
| Sector | Total tested | New tested | ||
| Private | 8 222 169 | 56% | 24 914 | 45% |
| Public | 6 528 732 | 44% | 31 009 | 55% |
| Total | 14 750 901 | 55 923 | ||
PROVINCIAL BREAKDOWN
The majority of new cases today are from Western Cape (29%), followed by Gauteng (27%). KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 14%; Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga each accounted for 7%; Limpopo and North West each accounted for 5%; Free State accounted for 4%; and Northern Cape accounted for 3% of today’s new cases.
The cumulative number of cases by province is shown in the table below:
| Province | Total cases for 28 July 2021 | Adjusted numbers after harmonisation | Updated total cases on 28 July 2021 | New cases on 29 July 2021 | Total cases for 29 July 2021 | Percentage total |
| Eastern Cape | 225 654 | -12 | 225 642 | 979 | 226 621 | 9,4 |
| Free State | 127 582 | -6 | 127 576 | 523 | 128 099 | 5,3 |
| Gauteng | 852 202 | -43 | 852 159 | 3 655 | 855 814 | 35,3 |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 389 440 | -9 | 389 431 | 1 900 | 391 331 | 16,2 |
| Limpopo | 109 707 | -16 | 109 691 | 684 | 110 375 | 4,6 |
| Mpumalanga | 122 242 | 0 | 122 242 | 933 | 123 175 | 5,1 |
| North West | 125 972 | -40 | 125 932 | 698 | 126 630 | 5,2 |
| Northern Cape | 66 052 | 0 | 66 052 | 411 | 66 463 | 2,7 |
| Western Cape | 389 674 | 1 | 389 675 | 3 968 | 393 643 | 16,3 |
| Total | 2 408 525 | -125 | 2 408 400 | 13 751 | 2 422 151 | 100,0 |
THE 7-DAY MOVING AVERAGE NUMBER OF NEW CASES BY PROVINCE
The total number of cases today (n= 13 751) is lower than yesterday (n= 17 351) but higher than the average number of new cases per day over the 7 preceding days (n= 11 436). The 7-day moving average daily number of cases has decreased.
For more detailed information, visit the GIS Dashboard.
HOSPITAL ADMISSIONS
There has been an increase of 598 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours, a decrease from yesterday’s new hospital admissions. The following table is a summary of reported COVID-19 admissions by sector.
| Sector | Facilities Reporting | Admissions
to Date |
Died to Date | Currently Admitted |
| Private | 257 | 173 347 | 30 781 | 8 493 |
| Public | 412 | 188 595 | 45 339 | 7 471 |
| TOTAL | 669 | 361 942 | 76 120 | 15 964 |
VACCINE UPDATE
For updates on the national vaccine programme, click here.
Thank you for your interest and remember that adhering to preventative measures limits your risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19. For more information on COVID-19, click here.
Kind regards,
Sinenhlanhla Jimoh, Senior Communications Manager
National Institute for Communicable Diseases
