Covid infections in South Africa have tripled in a week, with a quarter of all those tested infected with the virus, official figures show as Omicron continues to sweep across the country.
The National Institute For Communicable Diseases reported another 13,147 cases in the last 24 hours, up 200 per cent on the figure last Tuesday.
The figure is more than double the 6,381 recorded yesterday, which was low due to reduced testing over the weekend. But the positivity rate has remained around a quarter over both days.
Some 52,890 people were tested in the last 24 hours and 24.9 per cent were confirmed as Covid cases.
And 27 deaths were recorded, a 29 per cent week-on-week increase.
It comes as Boris Johnson today said Omicron appears 'more transmissible' than Delta.
And top epidemiologist Professor Tim Spector, from King's College London, claimed cases of the highly-evolved variant were doubling every two days, faster than initially feared.
It is unclear what impact the strain will have on severe illness, hospitalisations and deaths, but experts fear its extensive mutations will enable it to dodge protection from two doses of Covid jabs and previous infections.
Scientists have warned the new super strain could become dominant in the UK in a matter of weeks and estimated the variant makes up almost two per cent of all new infections, equating to 1,000 people every day.
Doctors on the ground are so far reporting that cases have been mild.
But experts warn the variant spreading among younger age groups and the lag between catching the virus and becoming seriously unwell could be masking the severity of the new strain.
Top scientists warn that even if it is not more lethal, the NHS will still face more pressure from Omicron than other variants because of the sheer number of people who will get ill.
The National Institute For Communicable Diseases reported another 13,147 cases in the last 24 hours, up 200 per cent on the figure last Tuesday. Some 52,890 people were tested in the last 24 hours and 24.9 per cent were confirmed as Covid cases. And 27 deaths were recorded, a 29 per cent week-on-week increase
South Africa's cases have skyrocketed since Omicron was first discovered, with around a quarter of all those tested in the last six days being infected with the virus.
