COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES | 'Ending Covid-19 only achievable if all can access health technologies needed for detection & treatment': Ghebreyesus

28 May 2021 - 07:00

By TimesLIVE

May 28 2021 - 21:54

Africa receives international support for Covid-19 vaccine and pharma manufacturing

SA, along with other African countries, will receive international support for vaccine production to accelerate the continent’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Friday, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Proparco, the German Development Finance Institution (DEG) and the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) announced a partnership to support vaccine manufacturing in Africa.

Through the partnership, IFC, Proparco, a subsidiary of Agence Française de Développement (AFD Group), DEG and DFC, along with other partners, are exploring potential collaboration with vaccine producers on the continent, including Aspen, to support the continued development of sustainable local vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa.

May 28 2021 - 19:51

Macron commits to helping SA ramp up vaccine capacity and create jobs

President Cyril Ramaphosa and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron have concluded several agreements which they say will assist SA in accelerating economic recovery.

The two heads of states concluded their official bilateral talks on Friday, in which they focused mainly on dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, global peace and security on the continent and relations between the two countries.

This was Macron’s first visit to SA.

May 28 2021 - 18:06

Just two SA provinces procured PPE at Treasury's recommended prices: AG

A special auditor-general's report has revealed that seven provinces ordered personal protective equipment (PPE) from suppliers at prices exceeding the maximum price prescribed by the National Treasury.

The AG briefed parliament on the first and second special reports on the financial management of government’s Covid-19 initiative on Friday.

The Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the North West, the Northern Cape and the Western Cape were fingered as the culprits, while the Free State and Limpopo were the only ones found to have complied with the market-related prices.

May 28 2021 - 17:14

‘The minister has briefed me,’ says Ramaphosa as he awaits SIU report on Digital Vibes

Health minister Zweli Mkhize has “briefed” President Cyril Ramaphosa on the Digital Vibes tender scandal, the president said on Friday.

Mkhize has been caught up in the scandal after a multimillion-rand tender was awarded to little-known company Digital Vibes, initially for communications around the National Health Insurance and later for Covid-19. The company subsequently brought in two individuals closely linked to Mkhize.

The revelations, first published by Daily Maverick, have resulted in calls for Mkhize to resign.

May 28 2021 - 12:31

POLL | Ramaphosa to address SA 'soon' — what are you expecting to hear?

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to hold a “family meeting” soon, where he is set to update the country on the measures that government will put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 amid a looming third wave.

Acting minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni made the announcement on Thursday.

She said the cabinet met during the week to discuss further lockdown measures with health officials.

May 28 2021 - 12:29

Booze ban fuelled increase in illicit alcohol, with spirits in high demand: report

A new report has revealed a “dangerous increase” in the illicit alcohol trade in 2020 in SA, as a direct consequence of the alcohol ban during lockdown.

According to a report by Euromonitor International on illicit alcohol sales in SA, the ban resulted in an increase in the demand for illicit alcohol — something which further motivated syndicates to take advantage of the depressed legal market to make profits.

The report was jointly commissioned by the South African Liquor Brand Owners Association (Salba), the Beer Association of South Africa (Basa) and Vinpro.

May 28 2021 - 08:19

SA records 4,424 new Covid-19 cases, with 93 deaths

SA recorded 4,424 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, as a total of 828,204 people have now been vaccinated in the country.

Under the Sisonke Programme, with the one-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine, 479,768 people have been vaccinated. The total number of people vaccinated in phase two as of midnight on Thursday was 348,436, with the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Figures released by health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize showed that the new infections came from 43,442 tests.