New daily Covid-19 infections in SA top 3 000
The Department of Health says South Africa has recorded 3 370 new Covid-19 infections over the latest reporting period.
This comes amid concern over a surge in new infections in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, who spent Thursday and Friday in Nelson Mandela Bay, said in a statement in the early hours of Saturday morning that there has also been a further 89 fatalities.
The Eastern Cape experienced the bulk of the deaths with 55, followed by the Free State with 19, Gauteng (3), KwaZulu Natal with 5 and Western Cape with 7.
This brings the total to 21 378 deaths.
Speaking in Nelson Mandela Bay on Friday, Mkhize said Zweli Mkhize he is in talks with Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma on measures to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.
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"In the Eastern Cape we have been in touch with the premier who couldn’t join us but as we walked around with the MECs, we have also had meetings where we involved some of the national departments, in particular Cogta and the Minister of Cogta, just to share ideas on what would need to be done."
Mkhize said the year-end festivities would likely add to the rising numbers.
"We are concerned, if we look at the fact that we are now entering the festive season that the numbers might start rising as a result of the practices that are associated with the festive season where people come together and congregate in groups, tend to celebrate, have parties and quite often in close proximity.
"As we have observed for the past few months now people have not been adhering to the use of masks and distancing and even some sharing items that have got a potential to spread the infection, like those who share glasses, share cigarettes and share beer bottles and so on. So these issues are our concern as we move towards the festive season."
