New Covid-19 infections continue to climb, with South Africa recording 2 858 new confirmed cases on Sunday.

Gauteng continues to record the highest number of new confirmed cases, with 2 308 cases in one day, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD). As of Sunday, the country recorded 2 961 406 laboratory-confirmed cases. There have been six new Covid-19-related deaths, bringing the confirmed death toll to 89 797.

"Today (Sunday), the institute reports 2 858 new Covid-19 cases that have been identified in South Africa... This increase represents a 9.8% positivity rate," the NICD said.

The majority of new cases on Sunday were from Gauteng with 81%, followed by the Western Cape with 5%. KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 4% of new cases; Mpumalanga and North West 3% each; Limpopo 2%; and the Eastern Cape, Free State and Northern Cape 1% each, said NICD spokesperson Sinenhlanhla Jimoh.

Gauteng recorded 2 308 new cases on Sunday, the Western Cape 148 and KwaZulu-Natal 102.

There were 18 new hospital admissions in the last 24-hour reporting cycle. As of Sunday, 2 232 people were in hospital for Covid-19.

South Africa conducted 19 413 079 tests to date, of which 29 245 were carried out in the last 24-hour cycle.

According to the Department of Health, 25 288 417 vaccine doses have been administered. Of those, 11 898 were administered in the last 24-hour cycle. To date, 16 481 375 adults have been fully vaccinated, and 417 854 children have received one vaccine dose.