South Africa has reported a record number of new daily Covid-19 infections in a fourth wave believed to be largely caused by the Omicron coronavirus variant, reports Reuters.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) reported 26,976 new cases in the past 24 hours, surpassing a peak of 26,485 in early July during a third wave driven by the then-dominant Delta strain.

The NICD also reported another 54 Covid-19 related deaths and an additional 620 hospital admissions.

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