Prof Karim: COVID-19 transmission decreasing, testing backlog cleared
The COVID-19 testing backlogs at the National Health Laboratory Services have been cleared.
Infectious diseases expert, Professor Salim Abdool Karim says the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa is slowing down.
The COVID-19 Ministerial Advisory Group Chair says they've noted a drop in the number of COVID-19 tests and new infection curve, recently.
The number of tests averaged 25 000 every day over the last three weeks.
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During the coronavirus peak - that number for the NHLS, shot up to 45 000 tests a day.
Karim gave some insight on where we are now, during a webinar with the Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Monday night.
"Every swap that is coming into the labs is being tested, so now we that the testing strategy has remained the same, We have no backlogs, so it's not a question of running out of kits.
"What is striking is the way in which the positive test proportion - that is of all the tests we do, how many are positive - has steadily declined.
"So that means that is a reflection of the people we are testing - there are fewer and fewer of them who are positive. So that's very reassuring," says Karim.
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