COVID-19 WRAP | SA's Covid-19 recovery rate climbs to nearly 92% & Matrics testing positive for Covid-19 now allowed to write exams

November 05 2020 - 22:15

SA's Covid-19 recovery rate climbs to nearly 92%

Nearly 92% of people in SA who were infected with Covid-19 had recovered, the health ministry said on Thursday night.

Minister Zweli Mkhize said that there were 671,579 recoveries recorded to date, at a recovery rate of 91.7%.

November 05 2020 11:29

LISTEN | Wits develops solution for safer, more accurate Covid-19 testing

A team from Wits University’s Centre for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research (CBTBR) has developed a unique “control standard” for Covid-19 testing.

This development aims to ensure that testing is independently verified to ensure its accuracy for diagnostic testing platforms.

The team, headed up by Prof Bavesh Kana, used a biomimicry technique to engineer a control organism that mimics the genetic material of the virus when used in diagnostic tests kits.

November 05 2020 11:25

Indonesia reports 4,065 new coronavirus infections, 89 deaths

 Indonesia reported 4,065 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, taking the total to 425,796, data from its COVID-19 task force showed.

It also added 89 new deaths, taking total fatalities to 14,348. Indonesia has the most coronavirus cases and deaths in Southeast Asia. 

-REUTERS

November 05 2020 10:23

To write matric exams after Covid struggles, that's enough: Angie Motshekga in Soweto

The start of the 2020 matric examination on Thursday is a celebration after a year fraught with disruptions to the academic year, as well as a tribute to the scores of teachers who succumbed to Covid-19 related deaths.

This is according to basic education minister Angie Motshekga and Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi, who monitored the start of the exams at Sekano-Ntoane High School in Soweto.  

This as a record total of 1,058,699 candidates are expected to sit for their examinations from November 5 to December 15 across the country.

November 05 2020 09:59

Australia orders more Covid-19 vaccines for total of 135 million doses

The Australian government has agreed to purchase two more Covid-19 vaccines in development, beefing up the country's prospective arsenal against the pandemic to 135 million doses as it aims to complete a mass inoculation programme within months.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday the government will buy 40 million vaccine doses from Novavax , and 10 million from Pfizer and BioNTech .

That adds to the 85 million doses Australia has already committed to buy from AstraZeneca and CSL Ltd should trials prove successful, taking the country's total anticipated outlay to A$3.2 billion ($2.3 billion).

November 05 2020 09:45

Matrics testing positive for Covid-19 now allowed to write and finish exams

The basic education department has made a U-turn on its decision not to allow matric pupils who tested positive for Covid-19 to write their final exams.

The department and the department of health had agreed on Wednesday evening to allow matrics testing positive for the virus to write their final exams.

Previously, the department said matrics who test positive for Covid-19 would not be allowed to write their exams in an effort to keep them, and those around them, safe.

November 05 2020 09:15

Czech Republic reports record daily tally for COVID-19 infections

The Czech Republic reported 15,729 new coronavirus cases for Nov. 4, its highest daily tally since the pandemic started, Health Ministry data showed on Thursday.

Total cases rose to 378,716 in the country of 10.7 million, which has seen one of Europe's highest infection rates amid a second wave of the pandemic.

The ministry also reported 220 new deaths, including 123 on Wednesday along with revisions to previous days, to bring the total to 4,133.

-REUTERS

November 05 2020 08:58

UK to extend furlough scheme beyond Dec. as BOE pumps in 150bln pounds - The Sun

British finance minister Rishi Sunak will promise to keep the government's COVID-19 bailout schemes in place even after the lockdown ends on December 2, the Sun newspaper reported.

The newspaper said the Bank of England was expected to pump around 150 billion pounds ($194 billion) worth of extra money into the economy. A BoE decision is due at 0700 GMT.

Sunak is expected to announce that the 80 per cent furlough scheme will continue to be on offer in any area of the UK that faces the highest level of Covid restrictions - including Tier 3 areas of England. ($1 = 0.7723 pounds) 

-REUTERS

November 05 2020 08:15

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 47.9 million, death toll at 1,222,441

More than 47.9 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,222,441​ have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

-REUTERS

November 05 2020 07:24

U.S. sets new record for increase in Covid-19 cases day after election

The United States set a one-day record for new coronavirus cases on Wednesday with at least 102,591 new infections and as hospitals in several states reported a rising tide of patients, according to a Reuters tally.

Nine states reported record one-day increases in cases on Wednesday: Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.

The pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of American life, including a record number of voters mailing in their ballots in Tuesday's presidential election, whose outcome has yet to be decided.

In addition to rising cases, on Tuesday hospitalizations topped 50,000 for the first time in three months.

-REUTERS