The department also reported 173 deaths, taking the death toll in South Africa to 22,747. A total of 756,671 people infected by the virus have since recovered.

Meanwhile, one expert says the second COVID-19 wave is a result of too many South Africans failing to take necessary steps to protect themselves.

"When you look at the specific stages of lockdown, and you look at levels 2 and 1, there was evidence that we were in control of this COVID-19 outbreak," says Adrian Puren from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

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