The number of Covid-19 doses administered in South Africa has breached the 20-million mark after 167,928 people received jabs on Monday, the health ministry announced on Tuesday.
The latest jabs bring the total number of doses administered since February 2021 to 20,381,262 and the total number of people vaccinated to 14,197,617, the ministry said.
Among these people, some 10,891,296 adults are fully inoculated with either the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the double-dose Pfizer vaccine, the office said.
Meanwhile, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said 15,026 tests were conducted on Monday, with 210 new Covid-19 cases identified.
The majority of the new infections were registered in the Western Cape province where after 43 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus, the NICD said.
KwaZulu-Natal closely followed with 41 cases against Gauteng’s 38 cases, 31 for Free State, while North West and Northern Cape recorded 15 cases each, Eastern Cape had 14 cases, Mpumalanga had 11 and Limpopo had a mere two cases, the agency said.
“A further seven Covid-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 88,619 to date,” the NICD said, adding that 24 patients were admitted to hospital across the country on Monday.
The public health institute urged citizens to continue to adhere to preventative measures by being vaccinated for Covid-19, wearing masks properly to cover the nose and mouth, avoiding unnecessary gatherings, keeping a social distance of one metre or more, and washing hands regularly with soap and water.
NM/jn/APA