COVID-19 WRAP | Alcohol sales off to slow start as booze ban is lifted

February 02 2021 - 20:37

Covid-19 vaccination registration opens for health-care workers

Less than 24 hours after the arrival of the first million Covid-19 vaccines on South African shores, the government’s Electronic Vaccination Data System officially went online.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday said this system would be used to track who gets the vaccine and where.

“The Department of Health has developed an Electronic Vaccine Data System to streamline the vaccine registration and rollout process. This will allow us to capture all relevant data associated with the administration of the vaccine,” Ramaphosa said. 

February 02 2021 - 20:29

EDITORIAL | Covid border fence idea had holes in it from the word go

Sunday Times Daily visited Beitbridge last April to report on the hastily constructed R37m border fence between SA and Zimbabwe. The trip all but confirmed our suspicions.

“We make big holes so we can get suitcases with cigarettes through, and small ones so we can get people and groceries through,” a smuggler remarked casually. A month later, an exasperated minister of public works and infrastructure Patricia de Lille told MPs the fence “was hardly up for one day and the crooks came through with cases of cigarettes and smuggling food”.

That outcome would have been predictable for any average citizen; how it could not have been preempted by those deciding to build the fence is a mystery. What followed was even more predictable: an investigation. The auditor-general was to look into whether SA got value for money from the project and whether due processes were followed in appointing the contractors. The Special Investigating Unit became involved and wanted the contracts with two of the construction companies to be set aside. Fourteen departmental employees faced disciplinary action for misconduct during the procurement and construction of the multimillion-rand border.

February 02 2021 - 20:26

Now’s when the vaccine gets tricky. Who gets what and how much?

The aeroplane that landed on Monday afternoon with our first batch of one million Covid vaccines carried with it an interesting paradox for our country.

On the one hand, it was a moment of extreme pride to receive this long-awaited consignment of AstraZeneca jabs produced at the Serum Institute by our friends in India. Our battered healthcare workers are overdue these life-saving jabs.

On the other, it was difficult to watch an Emirates plane making this delivery, a painful reminder of the demise of SAA at the hands of selfish, greedy individuals.

February 02 2021 - 20:25

Lick those liquor laws into shape and then we’ll be happy, say doctors

Doctors have called for new laws to enforce responsible drinking, saying the strict lockdown regulations drastically improved hospital bed availability.

Dr Ken Boffard, trauma director at Netcare’s Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg and emeritus professor of surgery at Wits university in the city, told Sunday Times Daily it was not only the alcohol sales ban, but also the curfew that made a difference.

“The ban has hit restaurants hard. The lift should be to allow responsible drinking, such as at restaurants, with sales being allowed [on] certain days of the week. 

February 02 2021 - 20:23

SA Covid strain prompts ‘surge testing’ in England

The UK has been forced to confront the spread of the SA variant of coronavirus within the country, as the health secretary pledged on Monday to “come down hard” on the strain.

The news came as the number of people in the UK who had their first jab of a Covid-19 vaccine rose to 9.3 million with another 319,038 first doses delivered. The government also hinted that it may share some of its vaccine supplies with other countries later in the year.

Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Matt Hancock said the SA variant had been found in 11 people who had not travelled to the country where it was first detected. “There’s currently no evidence to suggest this variant is any more severe. But we need to come down on it hard, and we will,” he said.

February 02 2021 - 19:15

Tribunal corrects error implicating David Makhura in PPE scandal

linked to Covid-19 PPE corruption in the province.

The Special Tribunal cleared Makhura of wrongdoing on Monday, after a corrected judgment was issued.

This followed his application to the tribunal judge to clarify that, in her affidavit, the former department of health CFO Kabelo Lehloenya did not say she received names of who should get the PPE contracts from Makhura himself, but rather from his office — which could have been any number of people.

February 02 2021 - 18:01

Scopa wants open tender system for storage and distribution of Covid vaccine

Parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) wants an open tender system for the storage and distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine.

In a statement on Tuesday, committee chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said the committee has written to health minister Zweli Mkhize and finance minister Tito Mboweni to request an open process for tenders to be issued for storage and delivery of the vaccine.

This comes a day after the country received its first batch of vaccines from India.

February 02 2021 - 17:47

‘It’s fake news’: Mpumalanga premier says family not awarded vaccine tender

Mpumalanga premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane dismissed claims on Tuesday that a family member owned a company awarded a tender to distribute Covid-19 vaccines as “fake news”.

Mtsweni-Tsipane condemned the claims circulated on social media as an attempt to tarnish her image.

Posts shared on social media claimed a company registered on January 29, Jova Vaccines Supply, was owned by Mtsweni-Tsipane’s daughter.

February 02 2021 - 16:43

Alcohol sales off to slow start as booze ban is lifted

Sales at some liquor stores were off to a slow start on the first day of trading since the ban was lifted on Monday night.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced just after 8pm that the ban on the sale of alcohol would be lifted from Tuesday at 10am. Alcohol may now be sold from Mondays to Thursdays 10am-6pm for off-site consumption (in other words, by retailers).

In a snap survey TimesLIVE conducted on Tuesday afternoon, managers at liquor stores said they were not as busy as they had expected to be.

February 02 2021 - 15:29

KZN schools ready to open, but not all pupils will be in class on the first day

Platooning and alternate days and weeks are on the cards for many KwaZulu-Natal pupils when schools open on February 15.

Speaking on the readiness of schools at a media briefing on Tuesday, premier Sihle Zikalala told journalists that timetabling options would not change drastically from last year’s options.

“Some schools will still need to alternate days so as to accommodate all learners while observing social distancing. The timetabling options will include alternating weeks, platooning, alternating days, hybridisation and normal timetabling,” he said.

February 02 2021 - 14:51

Social media in a spin over Ramaphosa not thanking India for speedy vaccine delivery

South Africans of Indian origin vented on social media on Monday night, expressing their anger with President Cyril Ramaphosa for an apparent snub to the Indian government in his address to the nation.

In Facebook posts, several asked why the president had only thanked MTN and Cuba in his address on Monday night, a few hours after receiving the country’s first batch of Covid-19 vaccines from India.

Some users said given the country’s historical and cultural ties with the subcontinent, which was the first to deliver when SA was facing criticism for not securing the vaccines quickly, the president should have used the opportunity to pay tribute to India. 

February 02 2021 - 14:51

More than 163,000 KZN health workers eligible for Covid-19 vaccine, says premier Sihle Zikalala

KwaZulu-Natal is set to receive its first Covid-19 vaccines on February 14 for a massive rollout programme in which 163,256 health personnel will be eligible for inoculation.

On Tuesday, premier Sihle Zikalala said the focus will be on the management, distribution and dispensing of the vaccine.

“Key to the success of this plan is co-operation between the public and private sector, as well as non-governmental, community and faith-based organisations,” he said.

February 02 2021 - 13:18

Zimbabwe will have access to Chinese Covid-19 vaccine soon: ambassador

Zimbabwe will have access to a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine soon, China's ambassador in Harare said on Tuesday, as Beijing ramps up its availability to developing nations.

Last week, Zimbabwe health officials said Russia and China had approached it about supplying coronavirus vaccines.

Covid infections have escalated in Zimbabwe this year, with about 60% of its 33,548 cases and more than two-thirds of its 1,234 deaths recorded since New Year's Day.

February 02 2021 - 12:40

Mutation of concern E484K has occurred spontaneously in UK variant, scientist says

The E484K mutation of the novel coronavirus has occurred spontaneously in the UK variant of the virus, a professor of outbreak medicine who is part of a panel that advises the British government said on Tuesday.

"The mutation of most concern, which we call E484K, has also occurred spontaneously in the new Kent strain in parts of the country too," Calum Semple said on BBC radio. The UK variant was first detected in the southern English county of Kent.

Reuters

February 02 2021 - 12:41

Coronavirus variant accounts for up to 20% of cases in Paris - hospital executive

The highly contagious variant of the coronavirus first detected in Britain now accounts for up to 20% of infections in the wider Paris region, a leading hospital executive said on Tuesday.

"We have initial results in the Paris region and they are not good", Remi Salomon, head of the medical committee of Paris hospitals group AP-HP told france info radio. "We were at 6% to 7% on Jan 7, we reached 15% to 20% last week."

Salomon said tighter curbs were needed to rein in the pandemic. Last week President Emmanuel Macron held off from imposing a third national lockdown, instead toughening Covid-19 border controls and reinforcing a nightly curfew.

Reuters

February 02 2021 - 12:27

Court allows doctors to use ivermectin pending application to authorities

A Pretoria high court order on Tuesday allows doctors to start ivermectin treatment concurrently with the submission of an application to the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) for the use of the drug.

The agreement reached between by Dr George Coetzee, AfriForum and Sahpra was made an order of court by judge Peter Mabuse on Tuesday.

February 02 2021 - 12:22

Australia's tour of South Africa postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic

Australia's cricket tour of South Africa has been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Cricket Australia said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Following extensive due diligence with medical experts, it has become clear that travelling from Australia to South Africa at this current time poses an unacceptable level of health and safety risk to our players, support staff and the community," CA's interim Chief Executive Nick Hockley said in a statement. 

Reuters

February 02 2021 - 12:19

Dubai to start vaccinations with Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine

Dubai will start vaccinating people with the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, the state media office said, after receiving its first shipment from India.

Dubai is already inoculating residents, free of charge, with the Pfizer-BioNTech and China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) developed vaccines.

Reuters

February 02 2021 - 12:00

Covid-19 anal swab tests won't leave you ‘walking like penguins’, says China

A week after China made global headlines for introducing anal swab testing for Covid-19, its government has rubbished claims the method caused people to “walk like penguins”.

According to Reuters, some cities were using samples taken from the anus to detect potential Covid-19 infections, claiming it was more effective than throat swab testing and could be useful to minimise the risk of relapse after recovery.

February 02 2021 - 11:30

Health portfolio committee calls for upgrades at Tembisa Hospital

Parliament's health portfolio committee has called for the health department to upgrade infrastructure and address staffing issues at Tembisa Tertiary Hospital.

On Monday, the committee said it visited the hospital on Saturday following the release of the report which detailed circumstances surrounding the care and death of Shonisani Lethole in the hospital last June.

February 02 2021 - 11:26

AstraZeneca's China partner expects to be able to make 400m Covid-19 vaccine doses a year

China's Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products said on Tuesday it had completed a facility designed to be able to produce 400 million doses of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine per year, doubling a capacity target promised in 2020.

"Kangtai is actively pushing forward procedures for the vaccine's clinical trial and registration in China, and has completed a manufacturing plant and started trial production," the Shenzhen-based firm said in a press release.

The firm obtained rights to supply the AZD1222 vaccine, developed by the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker and Oxford University, in mainland China last year in return for having capacity to produce at least 200 million doses by the end of 2021.

The vaccine might be approved for use in China by mid-2021 after gathering safety data from Phase I and II trials in China and efficacy data from late-stage trials overseas, Leon Wang, head of AstraZeneca's China operation, said in November. 

Reuters

February 02 2021 - 11:22

Pandemic drives oil major BP to first loss in a decade

BP plunged to a $5.7 billion loss last year, its first in a decade, as the pandemic took a heavy toll on oil demand, and the energy company warned of a tough start to 2021 amid widespread travel restrictions.

Despite the weak environment, however, CEO Bernard Looney told Reuters the company's transition to a greener future remained on track.

It is aiming to ramp up renewable power generation to 50 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 from 3.3 GW currently, while slashing oil output to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Reuters

February 02 2021 - 09:52

February 02 2021 - 09:00

'At least I'll be drunk on Valentine's Day' — Mzansi reacts to booze ban being lifted

President Cyril Ramapohosa addressed the nation on Monday night on the country's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, announcing an easing of some restrictions, but for some the biggest takeaway was the lifting of the booze ban.  

February 02 2021 - 08:20

The booze ban is lifted, so where and when can I get alcohol?

The lifting of the ban on the sale of alcohol has been applauded by many on social media and within the industry, but there are still some restrictions on where and when it can be sold.

A month after reinstating the booze ban to try reduce pressure on hospitals facing a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday that regulations would be eased.

February 02 2021 - 08:00

EU vaccine curbs may delay Japan's inoculation drive

European Union curbs on exports of novel coronavirus vaccines could delay Japan's inoculation drive, the minister in charge of the campaign said on Tuesday, while the government is expected to extend a state of emergency in a bid to rein in the epidemic.

Japan is set to begin its vaccination campaign this month, later than most major economies, and any delay could sow doubts about a government aim to secure enough doses for everyone before the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

February 02 2021 - 07:56

It's too late for some businesses: Wine and beer sectors seek financial relief from government

Wine industry body Vinpro is relieved that wine businesses can start trading again now that the third ban on local liquor sales is lifted, but says action is needed to improve the industry's long-term sustainability.

“Wine businesses have not been able to earn any income from local wine sales for a total of 20 weeks since March 2020, which led to an overall loss of more than R8bn in direct sales revenue and still threatens the survival of cellars, wine grape producers and the livelihoods of 27,000 employees in the wine industry value-chain,” it said.

February 02 2021 - 07:00

From booze to beaches and jabs — here are five things you need to know from Ramaphosa's address

President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised South Africans for adhering to the Covid-19 regulations, saying it has helped significantly reduce hospital admissions and the number of daily infections.

Ramaphosa was addressing the nation on Monday about the latest developments on Covid-19.

February 02 2021 - 06:55

Ramaphosa praises Cuban medics more than our own, says IFP

The IFP on Monday criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa for his praise of the Cuban medics who were in the country, saying this overshadowed the praise he gave to local health-care front-line workers.

The party accused Ramaphosa of putting the Cuban doctors on a pedestal.

February 02 2021 - 06:30

Doors might be open, but church council wants government stopped from ever shutting them again

The South African National Christian Forum (SANCF) — which was due to face off with the government in the high court in Johannesburg on Tuesday over the banning of religious gatherings under lockdown regulations — will continue with the court proceedings.

February 02 2021 - 06:00

WATCH | SA lockdown restrictions eased: booze & beaches are back as first vaccines arrive 

February 02 2021 - 06:00

'If guidelines are followed, all will be fine' - SA Medical Association on vaccine rollout

If all the guidelines in place for the implementation of the vaccine rollout are followed strictly, it will be a success.

This is according to the SA Medical Association (Sama) on Monday.

The first batch of Covid-19 vaccines arrived in the country on Monday afternoon, with the initial doses earmarked for health-care workers on the front line of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.