File: Technicians analyse PCR samples amid the COVID-19 pandemic. AFP/Yamil Lage
JOHANNESBURG - Acting Health Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane says the Delta variant first identified in India, is what is contributing to the high number of new Covid-19 infections in South Africa.
She says it is driving the third wave.
Kubayi-Ngubane and a panel of experts have given an update on the country's response to the pandemic.
"Our scientists after their sequencing, experiments have discovered that we have a new variant that is prevalent in our country," she said.
"This new variant is called Delta and you would know that it is not a new variant in terms of only existing in South Africa, it exists in other countries."
South has recorded 18,762 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24-hours.
A further 215 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported bringing the total number of fatalities to 59,621 to date.
