The number of new Covid-19 cases has risen quickly in the last week, but the number of deaths remain low.
According to Business Tech, last Saturday South Africa’s daily coronavirus test positivity rate “neared a record”. It went above 30% for the first time in almost five months, as two sublineages of the omicron variant spread quickly before the country’s winter.
Fortunately, there is no need to panic, as we’ve seen a “trend of increasing cases around July and December”.
On Sunday, 5,486 new cases were reported by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), and 21,692 tests were done. “This increase represents a 25.3% positivity rate. However, only seven deaths were reported, five of which occurred in the past 24 – 48 hours. This is in line with other reporting this week where deaths have remained below double-digits.”
In sports news, Max Verstappen, the world champion, fought off a late attack from series leader Charles Leclerc of Ferrari to win the first-ever Miami Grand Prix for Red Bull on Sunday.
“In a physically exhausting race for the drivers and teams at the Miami International Autodrome, the 24-year-old Dutchman produced a mature performance to make the most of superior straight line speed in a largely processional race until a late safety car intervention.”
His third victory of the season cut Leclerc’s championship lead to 19 points.
Here are the top trending stories of the day.
Headline: Covid deaths remain low in South Africa as positivity rate spikes – Business Tech
Headline: Happy Verstappen triumphs in sweltering Miami – EWN
Headline: Exiled Swati politician arrested for Hillary Gardee’s murder – Daily Maverick
Headline: Police officer and two patients dead after shooting inside Cape Town hospital – Daily Maverick
Headline: Watch the First Teaser Trailer for ‘Dear Mama’ Docuseries About 2Pac and His Mother – Complex
Headline: Orlando Pirates have a foot in Confed final after beating Ahli in Benghazi – Times Live
Headline: SA’S IS CRISIS | How R6bn got from spaza shops to African terrorists – Times Live (for subscribers)
Headline: Kendrick Lamar Transforms Into O.J. Simpson, Will Smith And Others In New Music Video – Complex
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