The country continues to feel the devastating burden of the COVID-19 third wave, with 458 more deaths recorded over the past 24-hour cycle.

According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, these fatalities have pushed our death toll since the start of the pandemic to 73,873.

This brings into sharp focus the urgency with which government has to accelerate its vaccination programme as South Africa’s total number of coronavirus cases is also fast approaching the 2.5 million mark.

There were more than 4,000 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the Western Cape, driving South Africa to 13,777 new infections in the past 24 hours.

The province now accounts for 30% of all new cases recorded in the country, followed by Gauteng at 20%, driven largely by the increase in new infections in the Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal.

The NICD said that the rolling seven-day average of new cases was on the rise again. This after a period of decline due to Gauteng having passed its third wave peak.

Meanwhile, more than 15,000 South Africans are currently in hospital for COVID-19 treatment.