COVID-19 WRAP | Mkhize warns of Covid-19 third wave at Easter as SA records 1,477 new cases

March 10 2021 - 20:22

Nearly 1,500 new Covid-19 cases recorded in SA in past 24 hours

SA recorded 1,477 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of infections to date to 1,524,174.

The new cases came from 36,217 tests, at a positivity rate of 4.07%.

March 10 2021 - 20:22

Government concerned about fake vaccines: Zweli Mkhize

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Wednesday reminded South Africans that Covid-19 vaccines are not for sale.

This after a recent discovery of fake vaccines circulating on the black market.

“We want our people to be aware that the vaccines are free at the point of administration so that we do not have space for people to be charged in the black market.”

March 10 2021 - 19:14

Mauritius bans visitors after discovering 19 new Covid-19 cases

Mauritius has gone into lockdown and suspended flights in and out of the island for two weeks after the discovery of 15 more cases of Covid-19, the Mauritius state tourism agency said on Wednesday.

The Indian Ocean island of 1.4 million people has had 641 confirmed coronavirus cases with 10 deaths, according to the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) data.

All residents and visitors have been asked to stay at home or in their hotels until March 25, the agency said in a statement.

March 10 2021 - 18:23

Mkhize warns of Covid-19 third wave at Easter if people let down their guard

South Africans need to wear masks, social distance, wash their hands, sanitise and stay away from overcrowded spaces if the country is to limit the resurgence of Covid-19, particularly during Easter.

This is the sentiment shared by health minister Zweli Mkhize during an oral question and answer session in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

“We need to insist that whatever we do, those nonpharmaceutical interventions remain standard to prevent a third or fourth wave. That is what we need to focus on,” said Mkhize.

March 10 2021 - 14:41

Black, Hispanic Americans lag in Covid vaccination as outreach efforts struggle

It’s a life-threatening problem that’s been long predicted — but that few in the government or private sectors have yet done much to solve. Now the consequences are hitting some of America’s most vulnerable communities.

America’s Covid-19 vaccine drive is failing to reach black and Hispanic communities, despite pervasive warnings about their lack of health-care access and heightened vaccine hesitancy, rooted in distrust of the government and historical episodes of medical exploitation.

The issue has been highlighted by polls and government focus groups since last summer. But there’s been no comprehensive national effort to address the problem from the federal government or major philanthropists, leaving a patchwork of underfunded local activists struggling to fill the void, according to Reuters interviews with 15 non-profit and philanthropic groups.

March 10 2021 - 14:35

US House set for final approval of $1.9 trillion Covid-19 bill in early win for Biden

President Joe Biden is poised on Wednesday for his first major legislative victory when the House of Representatives is expected to approve his $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package, which forecasters predict will turbocharge the US economy.

The bill, one of the largest stimulus measures in American history, includes $400bn for $1,400 direct payments to most Americans, $350bn in aid to state and local governments, an expansion of the child tax credit and increased funding for vaccine distribution.

Biden and his fellow Democrats who narrowly control Congress have described the legislation as a critical response to a pandemic that has killed more than 520,000 and thrown millions out of work.

March 10 2021 - 14:24

Hospitals in Brazil under strain as ICU wards in largest cities near capacity

Brazil registered 1,972 new Covid-19 deaths in a single day on Tuesday - a record, according to the health ministry.

The country had 70,764 new cases of coronavirus, reaching a total of 11.1 million infections. Brazil had a total of 168,370 coronavirus deaths.

March 10 2021 - 07:37

Zimbabwe authorises Sputnik V, Sinovac vaccines for emergency use

Zimbabwe has authorised the emergency use of four Covid-19 vaccines, including Russia's Sputnik V and China's Sinovac, the minister of information said on Tuesday.

The southern African nation last month rolled out its Covid-19 vaccination programme after receiving a donation of 200,000 doses of shots from China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm).

Last week, India announced that Zimbabwe had become the first African country to authorise the use of its Covaxin vaccine.

Reuters