Covid-19 cases among Western Cape teachers have decreased over the last week, the Western Cape Education Department of Education (WCED) has said.

The latest data shows that cases dropped week on week, for the week ending on Friday 13 August, with 246 cases reported, said WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond.

"We saw a decrease in teacher infections compared to the week before, with less than 1% of educators reporting to have contracted the virus," she said.

"We have less active cases this past week than we did at the end of December/beginning of January in the second wave – when teachers were not at school."

The province is currently at the peak of its third wave.

As of Tuesday, the Western Cape had recorded 2 745 new cases, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. The province was home to 26% of all new cases in the country.

"Understandably so, there will also be teacher and learner infections, as they too live and breathe within our communities, and are living in close quarters with other family members, with some socialising with friends and some taking public transport," she said.

"At school, however, they adhere to strict Covid protocols such as the wearing of masks and sanitising regularly."

Pupil infection rates remain under 0.1% of the population, with 0.05% contracting the virus last week, which translates to 638 pupils.

"Many infections are caused, not as a result of being in school, [but by] social settings outside of school. While learners are asked to comply with Covid protocols at school – we cannot monitor their behaviour outside of school," said Hammond.

"We urge members of the public not to make unfounded claims about schools being the source of spreading the virus."