Coronavirus cases are escalating in South Africa as the positivity rate of tests increases, according to an analysis by Wastewater.
Scientists working with the government have predicted that the fourth wave of coronavirus infections could begin in December. Still, they said it will likely be less severe than previous resurgences because about a third of South African adults are fully vaccinated and between 60percent and 70percent of the population may have already been infected.
According to government data released on November 20, 2021 virus cases rose to 887, over a period of 24-hour, the highest since October and on November 21, 3.4 percent of tests returned a positive result.
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There is fear that if this continues for over a seven-day period that would result in having the highest proportion of people testing positive since the week ended September 26.
The rise in cases comes days after the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said that the incidence of Covid-19 was increasing in wastewater samples of some areas of Gauteng, the most populous province. South African Medical Research Council data show that excess deaths, the number of deaths over a historical average, have been rising in recent weeks.
The number of confirmed daily infections peaked at almost 20,000 in July, during the third and most severe wave the country has experienced.
