SA recorded 3,641 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, but it was the positivity rate of higher than 9% that will be of growing concern.

The health ministry has previously raised alarm as the positivity rate — the number of positive results compared to the number of tests in the same 24-hour period — climbs towards the 10% and 12% marks.

On Thursday, figures released by health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize showed that the 3,641 new infections came from 39,612 tests — a positivity rate of 9.12%. Nearly half of the new infections (1,519) were recorded in Gauteng.

To date, there have been 1,625,003 cumulative infections recorded across SA, Mkhize said.

There were also 61 new Covid-19 related deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities confirmed across the country to 55,568.

There have also been 1,531,993 recoveries recorded to date.

Mkhize also revealed that there had been 480,665 people vaccinated under the Sisonke Programme, all obtaining the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. There had also been 116,741 people who had received the first dose of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine as of 5pm Thursday.

TimesLIVE