Johannesburg - The National Department of Health (NDoH) and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) announced that as of today, August 1, the daily reporting of Covid-19 cases will stop.
The department will, however, publish the Covid-19 surveillance data weekly, and continue to closely monitor the situation.
The spokesperson for the NDoH, Foster Mohale, said the department and the NICD had been steadfastly reporting Covid-19 surveillance data daily since 2020 in order to keep the South African public abreast with regards to the pandemic.
“However, due to the reduced severity and transmissibility of the disease at the current moment, coupled with declining Covid-19 case numbers, the department together with the NICD have reassessed the existing reporting structures and agreed that it is justifiable to allow the majority of members of the reporting structures to return to their permanent jobs on a full-time basis,” Mohale said.
The department thanked all individuals, teams and stakeholders whose sacrifices, commitment and contribution made it possible for the government to keep the public up to date with crucial information.
“Although this doesn’t mean the pandemic is over and the vaccination services will remain accessible at designated sites, including at some public health facilities,” the spokesperson said.
The NDoH said the NICD supported the decision and concurred that the current phase of the pandemic no longer required daily Covid-19 updates.
“The public should be mindful that disease trends and weekly surveillance data largely inform health policies. Therefore, the NICD remains committed to its surveillance activities and will continue reporting Covid-19 surveillance data as per normal, with the data being published in the existing weekly surveillance reports,” the department said.
The Star