(Bloomberg) -- South African authorities are monitoring “worrying signs” in the level of new coronavirus infections, according to Health Minister Joe Phaahla.
The proportion of positive test results rose for a sixth day to 17.8% in data released on Friday, with 4,631 new infections detected, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases said. That compared with 15.8% a day earlier and is the highest rate since Jan. 8, when a wave driven by the newly discovered omicron variant was waning.
“We hope this will not go much higher,” Phaahla told lawmakers in Cape Town, before Friday's numbers were posted. “We will report back to the public and the health committee once we see more of the trend.”
Scientists have predicted the start of a fifth wave of Covid-19 infections in late April or May. The government has said that vaccine coverage and the high rate of prior infections -- as many as 80% of South Africans may already have had the virus -- should ease its impact.
Gauteng province, the nation's economic hub, is the most affected in the latest surge in cases, accounting for more than half the new infections.
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
