COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES | Eight Covid-19 related deaths

April 05 2021 - 21:50

Free State and Gauteng record four Covid-19 related deaths each

There were just eight Covid-19 related deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, according to the latest health ministry figures.

There were also only 452 new infections recorded in the same period — and this from just 11,091 tests (a positivity rate of just over 4%).

The eight fatalities were recorded in Free State and Gauteng (four each), and it means that 52,995 people have died from Covid-19 related illnesses across SA.In total, 1,552,416 confirmed cases have been identified.

April 05 2021 - 13:46

Another US Covid-19 surge may look different, experts say, particularly for younger people. Here's how

Experts say the highly contagious B.1.1.7 variant is changing the coronavirus pandemic's playbook and could spell trouble for younger groups that haven't yet been vaccinated

April 05 2021 - 12:00

Coronavirus doctor's diary: How the virus has changed our sleep patterns

Sleep disturbances are a common reaction to all natural disasters - from floods to epidemics, writes John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary, and the Covid pandemic is no exception.

April 05 2021 - 09:47

Greece pledges more support for businesses as shops reopen

 Greece will provide more financial aid to businesses hit by coronavirus restrictions in April, the finance minister said on Monday, as shops reopened despite surging case numbers that have put health services under severe strain.

Last week the government announced the easing of some restrictions to relieve widespread lockdown fatigue, allowing small retail shops selling non-essential goods to reopen, under so-called click-away and click-in-shopping modes.

Under the rules, consumers will need to make appointments and comply with a three-hour limit for shopping and retailers cannot allow more than one customer per 25 square metres.

The measure excludes shopping malls and department stores in the Athens area which will remain closed and in three regions with severe infection levels, including the major northern city of Thessaloniki, shops will remain closed.

Reuters

April 05 2021 - 07:17

Covid tests twice a week to get UK out of lockdown

People in England will be offered a free rapid COVID-19 test twice a week, as part of plans to further ease Britain's lockdown and open shops, pubs, and restaurants.

April 05 2021 - 07:10

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 8,497 

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 8,497 to 2,893,883, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Monday.

The reported death toll rose by 50 to 77,013, the tally showed. 

Reuters

April 05 2021 - 07:05

Tourism first! Island of Phuket in mass vaccination drive ahead of the rest of Thailand

In Thailand, it's the all-important tourism sector that has jumped to the head of the Covid-19 vaccination line, with the country's most popular resort island embarking on a mass inoculation programme two months ahead of the rest of the country.

The island of Phuket aims to deliver shots to at least 460,000 people - most of its population - as it gears up for July 1, when vaccinated overseas visitors will no longer be required to quarantine.

Phuket also has its own international airport and tourists would be able to roam the island freely without posing any coronavirus risk to the rest of Thailand's population.

"If we can build immunity for 70-80% of the population on the island, we can receive foreign tourists who have been vaccinated without the need for quarantine," Phuket's Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong told Reuters.

Reuters

April 05 2021 - 07:00

India's new daily Covid-19 cases surpass 100,000 for first time

 India reported a record rise in coronavirus infections on Monday, becoming only the second country after the United States to register more than 100,000 new cases in a day, as hospitals in its worst affected state are overrun by patients.

The country's daily infections have leapt about 12 fold since hitting a multi-month low in early February, when authorities eased most restrictions and people largely stopped wearing masks and following social distancing.

More infectious variants of the virus may have also played a role in the second surge, some epidemiologists say.

With 103,558 new infections, India has now reported 12.6 million cases, the highest after the United States and Brazil, data from the health ministry showed. 

Reuters

Plans for all infected patients moved to one hospital  

There are new plans for all Queensland Covid-19 patients to be moved to one hospital in hopes one centralised high-care location could contain the disease.