COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 1,674 new Covid-19 cases

April 30 2021 - 20:17

SA records 1,674 new Covid-19 cases

SA has recorded an additional 1,674 Covid-19 infections, the health ministry said on Friday evening.

This brings the cumulative total number of infections since the start of the pandemic to 1, 581,210.

There were 19 Covid-19 related deaths over the past 24-hours with the Eastern Cape recording three, Free State one, Gauteng seven , KwaZulu-Natal four, Limpopo 0, Mpumalanga three, North West 0, Northern Cape 0 and Western Cape one.

This brings the total number of deaths in SA to 54,350.Cumulative recoveries now stand at 1,505, 620. The number of tests conducted to date is 10,654,870 - of these 29,840 tests were conducted since the last report on Thursday.

April 30 2021 - 19:00

Uganda to stop flights to and from India amid coronavirus surge

Uganda will suspend flights to and from India after midnight on Saturday amid the coronavirus surge in the Southeast Asian nation, the country's health ministry said on Friday, two days after neighbouring Kenya did the same.

Also on Friday, a senior Ugandan health official said the country has detected the Indian variant of the novel coronavirus, igniting fears the East African nation could suffer a resurgence of cases just when its outbreak has waned.

The head of the African Union's disease control body John Nkengasong told a news conference on Thursday that the raging state of the pandemic is India is a wake-up call for Africa that its governments and citizens must not let their guards down.

-REUTERS

April 30 2021 - 18:00

Turkey records 394 coronavirus deaths, its biggest daily toll

Turkey logged 394 coronavirus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, its biggest ever daily toll, data from the Health Ministry showed on Friday, a day after a nationwide lockdown went into effect.

The data also showed 31,891 new coronavirus cases in the same period.

Turkey ranks fourth globally in number of daily cases based on a seven-day average, according to a Reuters tally. Ankara has tightened restrictions as infections and deaths surged to record highs after an easing of measures in March.

On Thursday, Turks have entered a nationwide "full lockdown" starting that will last until May 17 to curb a surge in coronavirus infections and deaths.

-REUTERS

April 30 2021 - 11:20

Raising fears of Covid-19 surge, Uganda detects Indian variant, official says

Uganda has detected the Indian variant of the novel coronavirus, igniting fears the East African nation could suffer a resurgence of cases just when its outbreak has waned, a senior health official said on Friday.

"Yes, we have got one individual who has that variant," Pontiano Kaleebu, head of the government-run Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) told Reuters on Friday.

The variant, he said, had been detected in recent days on a Ugandan who had returned from a visit to India. He did not immediately have further information.

April 30 2021 - 09:30

AstraZeneca boosted by first quarter Covid-19 vaccine revenue of $275m

AstraZeneca said on Friday its Covid-19 vaccine contributed $275m (R3.95bn) in sales and shaved off three cents per share from its first-quarter earnings, as the drugmaker reported better-than-expected results and forecast sales growth.

This is the first time the drugmaker has given financial details from the distribution and sales of its vaccine. It has said it will not make a profit from the shot during the pandemic.

Vaccine revenue included delivery of about 68 million doses worldwide, it said. Sales in Europe were $224m, emerging market sales were $43m, and $8m in the rest of the world, it said.

April 30 2021 - 08:20

Green light for pregnant and breastfeeding women to get J&J vaccine

Pregnant and breastfeeding women with comorbidities or at high risk of exposure to Covid-19 have been given the green light to receive the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) jab under the Sisonke vaccination programme and beyond in SA.

“Pregnant women are at higher risk of severe Covid-19 compared with women of childbearing age who are not pregnant, and Covid-19 has been associated with an increased risk of preterm birth,” the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) said in a statement on Thursday.

The regulator announced that pregnant and breastfeeding women in SA “may be vaccinated” with the J&J jab “in consultation with their healthcare provider.