This archive report was first published on 29 June 2021.
June 29, 2021, Johannesburg, South Africa - The country has become the worst virus-hit nation in Africa, with a total of 60,038 Covid-19 deaths reported as of Monday.
According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, at least 138 new Covid-19 related deaths were reported on Monday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 60,038.
Additionally, 512 new hospital admissions were reported, pushing the total number of hospitalised people to 11,801.
"The condition of the patient is so much worse than the first two waves," said Elsabe Conradie, chief executive and doctor at eMalahleni Private Hospital east of Johannesburg. "They get much, much sicker and so many of them never leave the hospital," she added.
The health authority reported 12,222 new cases over the last 24 hours, with 28.3% of those tested contracting the virus.
Gauteng province, home to the administrative capital Pretoria and financial hub Johannesburg, is the current epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for around 69% of the latest daily increase.
Government and scientists announced the weekend that the highly contagious Delta variant was driving the surge in South African Covid-19 infections, which is testing the capacity of hospitals.
President Cyril Ramaphosa re-imposed restrictions for two weeks from Monday, banning all gatherings except for funerals where numbers will be capped at 50 people.
With rising caseloads and a sluggish vaccine rollout, South Africa is experiencing a third wave with new daily cases doubling over the past two weeks.
