COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 1,931 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours
Image: REUTERS/Albert Gea
January 23 2022 - 20:40
SA records 1,931 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours
SA recorded 1,931 new confirmed Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 3,581,359 since the start of the pandemic.
The national death toll of Covid-related death has risen to 94,177 after 17 deaths were recorded.
The cumulative number of vaccines administered under the rollout is 29,369,021 with 3,411,555 total recoveries recorded.
January 23 2022 - 17:45
Brussels police fire water cannon, tear gas during Covid curbs protest
Police in Brussels fired water cannon and tear gas to disperse protesters near the European Commission's headquarters on Sunday, after a protest involving some 50,000 people opposing Covid-19 restrictions turned violent.
Although Belgium announced a slight easing of coronavirus restrictions on Friday, despite record infections, the government also said people must have booster shots after five months to maintain the Covid-19 passes which allow them to access bars or cinemas.
The passes, which are mandatory for anyone wishing to enter a restaurant, museum or many other public space, have sparked fierce opposition among some Belgians.
-Reuters
January 23 2022 - 12:00
Russia reports record daily Covid-19 cases for third day in a row
Russia reported on Sunday a new record number of Covid-19 infections confirmed in the past 24 hours as the Omicron variant of the virus spreads across the country, the government coronavirus task force said.
Daily new cases jumped to 63,205 from the previous record of 57,212 a day earlier. The task force also reported 679 deaths.
-Reuters
January 23 2022 - 08:40
Mask makers look far and wide for additional cover
Mask makers are looking for new markets as countries start easing the pandemic-induced restrictions that transformed their businesses overnight.
UK-based Cambridge Mask, which reported monthly sales rocketing from 15,000 units in January 2020 to 500,000 eight months later, is starting to push the benefits of masks in places ravaged by wildfires or with high levels of air pollution. Other companies are targeting medical professionals and exports.
Even if those efforts pan out, mask companies are still bracing for a slump in sales over the coming months as the pandemic ebbs.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson foreshadowed the shift this week, announcing an end to mask requirements in stores and on public transport as infections recede.
January 23 2022 - 08:14
Netflix, Peloton join the shuddering halt for pandemic-era stocks
Netflix and Peloton Interactive, two of the highest-profile stars of the lockdown era, both plunged this week — the latest sign that investors are moving on from the so-called pandemic trade.
Netflix expects to add a paltry 2.5-million users in the current quarter, well short of estimates. Peloton, meanwhile, is slashing costs to cope with slowing demand for its stationary bikes.
They became the latest darlings of 2020 to sink to levels not seen since the early days of the Covid outbreak. Others are suffering too. Zoom Video Communications, the owner of the videoconferencing software, is trading at the lowest level since May 2020.
January 23 2022 - 07:15
Covid-19 complications give SA steel sector a shot in the arm
The South African steel sector may not be shooting the lights out, but it is in its best position in at least a decade from a supply and potential demand perspective thanks to a confluence of global and local factors.
Demand for steel around the world is steadily improving as markets recover from lockdown restrictions, and the supply chain disruptions which resulted in shortages of the metal have supported prices and production. SA’s planned multibillion-rand infrastructure rollout and other public projects have the potential to provide a significant boost to the industry’s fortunes in the next few years.
Charles Dednam, secretary-general of the South African Iron and Steel Institute (SAISI), says he is optimistic about the prospects for the industry. “The steel industry is in a healthy and very good position, possibly the best it has been in for the last decade,” says Dednam, who has more than 40 years' experience in the sector.
January 23 2022 - 07:00
World Bank loan is a shot in the arm for SA’s Covid efforts
The World Bank has approved an R11bn ($750m) loan for SA’s under-pressure National Treasury, which, besides needing to fund the battle against Covid, is desperate to boost an ailing economy facing another interest rate increase.
The low-interest development policy loan will form part of the government’s R500bn fiscal relief package. Besides boosting the fight against the pandemic, the money will also offer support for resilient and sustainable economic recovery, the Treasury said in a statement.
The loan is in addition to the $4.3bn from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), $1bn from the New Development Bank and $288m from the African Development Bank, secured shortly after the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.
January 23 2022 - 06:49
If you do anything, do it for love
Disagreement turns to tragedy when any person on either side of the vaccine wall rejoices at the death of an adversary
January 23 2022 - 06:00
Experts warn against quick ending of Covid state of disaster
The end of the Covid state of disaster was flagged on Wednesday by President Cyril Ramaphosa but experts told the Sunday Times that this should not happen in a hurry.
They said a delay is needed to develop and promulgate regulations that will allow government departments to keep managing Covid interventions.
The DA, which has been leading calls for the state of disaster to be ended, said this had always been known. “It is something that should have been done a long time ago,” said party spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube.