They say that the current numbers do not include the large number of people who die before getting to hospital or while waiting in line for treatment, or even those querying their COVID-19 status.

The organisation says that the majority of citizens do not have access to adequate healthcare facilities.

Meanwhile, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, chairperson of the COVID-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee, says there is evidence that the new variant of the coronavirus in South Africa, known as 501Y.V2, is 50% more infectious as it binds more readily to human cells.

However, there is no evidence that it causes a more severe COVID-19 infection.

South Africa is experiencing a second wave of infections fuelled by the new variant.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the country has registered over 1.3 million infections and just over 37 000 COVID-19-related fatalities.

SABC News