By IOL Reporter 
Jul 15, 2021
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DURBAN – MORE than 16 000 additional people have tested positive for Covid-19, taking South Africa’s total number of confirmed coronavirus cases to 2 253 240.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said there were 16 435 new cases confirmed in the last 24 hours.
A further 377 Covid-19-related deaths have been reported, bringing the total number of fatalities to 65 972.
The majority of new cases today are from Gauteng (44%), followed by Western Cape (18%). Limpopo and North West each accounted for 9%; Mpumalanga accounted for 7%; Eastern Cape accounted for 5%; Free State and KwaZulu-Natal each accounted for 3%; and Northern Cape accounted for 2% of today’s new cases.
The NICD said that although the number of positive cases appeared to be decreasing, testing was critical for understanding the spread of Covid-19 infection.
It is crucial to remember that the testing data is representative of those who came forward for testing, not necessarily a reflection of current community transmission in South Africa.
Testing data is used to identify cases and the follow-up of contacts to limit transmission. This data is also used to predict, plan and deploy resources for risk mitigation.
“Understanding that services have been adversely affected and services may be temporarily closed we encourage all our communities to seek medical help if they have Covid-19 symptoms such as fever, lethargy, a dry cough, or trouble breathing,” the NICD said.
Individuals who are unable to access testing facilities and believe they have been infected or have had direct contact with someone who has been confirmed positive should call the Covid-19 hotline at 0800 029 999, stay home, quarantine for 10 days and minimise contact with others.