COVID-19 WRAP | SA Covid-19 deaths near 55,000

May 12 2021 - 22:21

SA records 2,759 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours

There were 2,759 new Covid-19 cases recorded across SA in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of infections since the coronavirus outbreak past the 1.6 million mark.

There were also 72 Covid-19 related deaths recorded in the same period, meaning the country is just shy of 55,000 total fatalities. To date, 54,968 deaths have been recorded across SA.

The new infections came from 37,020 tests, at a positivity rate of 7.45%.

May 12 2021 - 21:47

'Worrying' rise of Covid-19 cases across SA, but third wave not here yet: health department

The rising number of Covid-19 cases across SA was “worrying”, the health department said on Wednesday night — but the country wasn't yet in the pandemic's third wave.

In a statement, the department said that it had noticed in increase in the weekly number of new cases over the past seven and 14 days compared to the previous corresponding periods, with all provinces showing an increase — particularly the North West and Gauteng. There was also an increase in the number of Covid-19 related deaths over the past seven days.

But these increases, the department said, were not yet pointing towards the “resurgence threshold” having been met.

May 12 2021 - 20:12

Free State man arrested for murder in Covid-19 relief fund queue and killing partner two months later

A Free State man accused of murdering two people — one his partner — and the attempted murder of a third person has appeared in court, police confirmed on Wednesday. 

The 32-year-old was arrested on Tuesday evening.

According to Free State police spokesperson Col Thandi Mbambo, the offences allegedly happened between February and April.

May 12 2021 - 19:58

US CDC finds more clotting cases after J&J vaccine, sees causal link

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday it had found more cases of potentially life-threatening blood clotting among people who received the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine and sees a "plausible causal association".

The CDC said in a presentation the agency has now identified 28 cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) among the more than 8.7 million people who had received the J&J vaccine. TTS involves blood clots accompanied by a low level of platelets - the cells in the blood that help it to clot.

So far, three of the 28 have died. Previously, as of April 25, the CDC had reported 17 cases of clotting among nearly 8 million people given vaccines.

May 12 2021 - 19:10

Mabuza assures MPs that vaccination procurement is above board

Deputy President David Mabuza on Wednesday assured parliament that no corruption had occurred during the government’s process of securing and procuring the Covid-19 vaccines.

“From where I am sitting, I am quite confident in the process ... that we have followed all processes to ensure that there is no corruption. We have an interministerial committee that is looking at all these processes, and if we detect any sign of corruption, we follow it,” said Mabuza.

Answering Covid-19 questions, Mabuza said legally binding nondisclosure agreements compelled the government to share limited information with the public.

May 12 2021 - 17:03

126 inmates paroled under Covid-19 dispensation have reoffended

More than 100 inmates who had committed non-violent crimes and were released on parole have reoffended, parliament heard on Wednesday.

In total, 126 parolees had reoffended, committing crimes including assault, murder, housebreaking, theft, assault GBH, possession of stolen goods, robbery and breaking parole conditions.

The 126 offenders were part of 13,989 people who were released since last year as a measure to combat the spread of Covid-19 in prisons, some of which were over-populated. They were rearrested and put back behind bars from April this year to date.

May 12 2021 - 16:13

'Don't drop your guard': Liquor traders plead for compliance over fear third wave could lead to another booze ban

The National Liquor Traders Council on Wednesday called on South Africans to keep following Covid-19 rules and regulations to avoid another hard lockdown, as the number of infections begin to show an upward trend.

“Another ban would put many taverns out of business for good,” said council spokesperson Lucky Ntimane.

The council has urged citizens to “not drop their guard” and emphasised the importance of wearing masks, social distancing and hand sanitising.

May 12 2021 - 15:48

Prof who sat on Covid-19 ministerial advisory committee named North West University's deputy VC

North West University (NWU) has appointed Prof Maphahlaganye Jeffrey Mphahlele as its deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation.

The university announced the appointment on Tuesday, after its council confirmed it recently.  

Council chair Dr Bismark Tyobeka said it had full confidence in Mphahlele’s ability to take research and innovation at NWU to greater heights.

May 12 2021 - 14:12

Afrikaans-speaking families and youth most sceptical of Covid-19 vaccines

A high percentage of people in SA who identified Afrikaans as their home language are hesitant to get a Covid-19 vaccination, a new study tracking trends during the pandemic has found. 

The National Income Dynamics Study — Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (Nids-Cram) was released on Wednesday, looking at vaccines, schools, hunger, employment, and other  categories.

Overall, the study found that 71% of adults in the country would be willing to get a vaccination. SA's national vaccine rollout starts on Monday.

May 12 2021 - 13:45

Pope face-to-face with the faithful again as Covid declines in Italy

Pope Francis expressed his delight on Wednesday as he resumed his weekly general audience in public for the first time in six months, reflecting a decline in coronavirus cases in Italy.

During the winter and early spring, the pope had delivered his weekly address via a video link from the Vatican's Apostolic Library.

On Wednesday morning, he stepped out into the San Damaso Courtyard, where a few hundred faithful had gathered.

"I am happy to restart this face-to-face meeting again, because let me tell you something, it’s not nice to talk in front of nothing, just at the camera, it is not nice," he said.

The 84-year-old pope, who has been vaccinated against the virus, went up and greeted some of those present, signing a book and wearing a red hat that a priest gave him.

The public sat in seats arranged to ensure social distancing and everyone had their temperatures checked as they arrived.

Many places were left empty. "It was wonderful to hear him and to see how close he was to us.

Reuters

May 12 2021 - 13:00

Spain expects as many as 45 million foreign tourists this year, minister says

Spain expects foreign tourist arrivals to reach as many as 45 million this year, Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Wednesday at a presentation of Spain's promotional campaign to entice visitors back this summer.

Foreign tourism to Spain plunged 80% last year from 83.5 million visitors in 2019 as pandemic restrictions brought leisure travel to a virtual standstill.

The government has previously said it expects tourism to reach half its pre-pandemic levels this year.

Reuters

May 12 2021 - 12:25

Pupil literacy suffered for both home language and English during Covid-19

SA’s primary schoolchildren who attended no-fee schools last year learnt between 50% to 75% less than what they normally do. This is one of the findings of the National Income Dynamics Study — Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (Nids-Cram) that was released on Wednesday.

May 12 2021 - 12:10

Three ways a panel says the WHO, states failed on Covid-19

The International Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response issued its report on Wednesday into the global handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, calling for a new transparent global system to be set up for investigating disease outbreaks.

The report, "Covid-19: Make it the Last Pandemic", is to be debated at the World Health Organization's annual ministerial assembly opening on May 24.Here are the main findings and recommendations of the panel of independent experts led by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf:

FAILINGS

1) The World Health Organization (WHO) should have declared the new coronavirus outbreak in China an international emergency earlier instead of waiting to Jan. 30, it said.

2) The WHO's Emergency Committee did not recommend travel restrictions, due to WHO's International Health Regulations, which "serve to constrain rather than facilitate rapid action" and need revamping, it said.

3) Governments failed to grasp that the January 30 emergency declaration was WHO's "loudest possible alarm" and that it has no authority to declare a pandemic. Many countries failed to take strong measures until the WHO eventually did describe it as a pandemic on March 11, it said.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The panel of independent experts called for setting up a new global system for surveillance of disease outbreaks that could spark a pandemic.

WHO should be empowered to dispatch experts to investigate outbreaks at short notice, obtain pathogen samples and publish information without prior government approval.

The WHO and World Trade Organization (WTO) should convene governments and drugmakers to hammer out an agreement on voluntary licensing and technology transfers to boost vaccine production, the report said.

If that fails to happen within three months, a waiver of intellectual property rights under the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights should come into force immediately, it said.

A new funding model should be set up to halt the system of earmarking funds in the UN agency's budget and to increase member states' fees.

The experts called for setting up a Global Health Threats Council, to be led at the head of state and government level, to maintain political commitment to pandemic preparedness.

An international pandemic financing facility should be established to mobilise $5 billion to $10 billion annually for pandemic preparedness, they said.

Reuters

May 12 2021 - 12:00

US CDC panel meets on Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine use in adolescents

Advisors to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will meet on Wednesday to discuss recommendations for the use of Pfizer and partner BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine in children aged 12 to 15.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) provides recommendations to the CDC that many states will consider as they begin administering the two-shot vaccine to adolescents this week.

The US Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccine for use in the younger age group on Monday, offering relief to parents eager to get their children back to schools and summer camps.

Reuters

May 12 2021 - 11:30

We should be doing better': Maimane suggests ways to improve 'disastrous' vaccine rollout

One SA Movement leader Mmusi Maimane is the latest politician to lambaste SA's vaccine rollout, claiming the government is failing the people. 

May 12 2021 - 10:42

Vaccines attitudes and learning losses revealed in latest SA income dynamics study

The fourth and latest study on the impact of Covid-19 on national incomes reveals what South Africans think about the vaccines and the impact of the pandemic on education.

May 12 2021 - 09:44

Triple-mutant Covid variant from India is now a potential global health risk

A WHO official said Monday it is reclassifying the highly contagious triple-mutant Covid variant spreading in India as a "variant of concern" at the global level. Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead for Covid-19, said the agency will provide more details in its situation report Tuesday.  ​

May 12 2021 - 09:33

Pfizer asks UK regulator to approve vaccine for teenagers

Pfizer Inc has submitted data on its Covid-19 vaccine among 12- to 15-year olds to Britain's health regulator, a company spokesman said on Tuesday, paving the way for its authorization to inoculate children in the country.

May 12 2021 - 08:17

As Covid-19 ravages India, a slum succeeds in turning the tide

Farhana Shaikh used to recoil in disgust when she went to the communal toilet in Dharavi. But since the pandemic struck, efforts to fight Covid-19 have dramatically improved public sanitation in one of Asia's largest slums.

May 12 2021 - 08:00

Brazil suspends use of AstraZeneca vaccine in pregnant women nationally after death

Brazil's federal government on Tuesday nationally suspended the vaccination of pregnant women with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 shot, after an expectant mother in Rio de Janeiro died from a stroke possibly related to the inoculation.

May 12 2021 - 07:56

Exchange between Sen. Rand Paul and Dr. Anthony Fauci

Dr. Anthony Fauci categorically denied a notion raised by Republican Senator Rand Paul that his agency funded research trying to create advanced viruses in a Chinese laboratory

May 12 2021 - 06:12

SA nurses struggle as we celebrate their special day

Never in recent history has there been a time more important to look back and appreciate nurse Florence Nightingale, who discovered the link between disease and healthcare, from the cleanliness of wards to the food and quality of the air patients received.

On Wednesday, the world recognises Nightingale's birthday, May 12, as International Nurses Day.

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) announced the theme for International Nurses Day 2021 (#IND2021) as “A Vision for Future Healthcare”. The overarching theme for this day in recent years has been, and will again this year be: “Nurses: A Voice to Lead”.

May 12 2021 - 06:00

With two variants of concern in SA, should government impose tighter lockdown rules?