More than 15 000 people have died of Covid-19 in the Western Cape, as the average fatality toll in the province reaches 104 deaths per day.

Amid the third wave, 39 278 people are currently infected with the virus, provincial statistics show.

A total of 352 500 of the 406 988 people who have contracted Covid-19 have recovered since the outbreak began, while 15 210 have succumbed to the virus.

According to statistics from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, the majority of the 8 791 new cases on Sunday were from the Western Cape at 27%, translating to 2 333 cases, followed by Gauteng with 23%, or 2 040 cases.

Of the current active cases in the province, the Western Cape government reports that 22 222 are in the metro, while 15 539 are in rural areas.

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, who was vaccinated at the Mitchells Plain community health centre in Cape Town over the weekend, said the last 16 months have been a "time of great loss for many people – of both lives and livelihoods".

"We now have an opportunity to bring it to an end, so that we can stop having to say goodbye to the people we love so that we can stop having our ICUs stretched to capacity, and so that we can stop having lockdowns and restrictions that keep on taking away our jobs," he said.

According to the province's most recent statistics, 1 092 893 people have been vaccinated.

Winde said he chose to get his jab in Mitchells Plain as the district has had a lower rate of vaccine registration than the rest of the Western Cape.

"Some of our residents are scared that the vaccine is not safe, that it was made too quickly, or that it might not work," he said.

He said he opted to "lead from the front and show that the vaccine is safe and that there is no reason to be afraid".

He urged people to "do proper research from reliable sources" if they were in doubt.

"Speak to a nurse at your local clinic or hospital and ask them to explain to you how it works. There is a lot of fake news on social media and being shared via WhatsApp, and so I know it can be confusing. But please check trusted sources so you can make an informed decision with accurate information," Winde said.

"If you do so, you will see how vaccines are saving lives in countries around the world, keeping people out of the hospital, and allowing economies to open up and to grow again. We need the same in the Western Cape, and every person from 18 years to 100 years old has a role to play in making this happen."