A person wearing a face mask sits on the step at the tourist attraction V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, on June 30, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

Visitors watch sunset on Signal Hill in Cape Town, South Africa, on June 18, 2021.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
South African Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said she was concerned that last week's unrest could lead to an increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases.

"We are extremely worried that the many gatherings that we saw during the unrest in the two provinces, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), might lead to another surge in numbers," she said at a media briefing on Friday on the country's response to COVID-19 pandemic.

The recent riot which mostly affected KZN and Gauteng, left a trail of destruction even bringing health services to a halt especially in KZN.

Kubayi-Ngubane said she was visiting KZN to fully understand the extent of the damage.

"There was loss of vaccines due to looting. An estimated 120 private pharmacies were destroyed, which led to a loss of approximately 47 500 vaccine doses and lots of damage to infrastructure," she said.

"There was a decrease in the number of vaccinations due to the closure of vaccination sites," she added.

Kubayi-Ngubane warned despite the decline in new cases especially in Gauteng, people should continue being vigilant.

So far, over six million locals have been vaccinated in South Africa. The country was able to vaccinate more than 250,000 people daily.