COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 67 new deaths as cases increase to 1,665,617

May 31 2021 - 22:50

SA records nearly 2,800 new Covid-19 cases and 67 deaths in 24 hours

SA recorded 2,792 new Covid-19 cases and 67 fatalities in the past 24 hours, health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said on Monday.

The new infections came from 24,669 tests at a positivity rate of 11.31% — and this now means that there have been 1,665,617 cumulative Covid-19 cases recorded across SA since the outbreak of the pandemic last year.

Of the 67 new deaths, 17 were in Gauteng, 15 were in Limpopo, 13 were in the Free State, 11 were in the Northern Cape, four were in both the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, two were in the Western Cape and one was in KwaZulu-Natal. 

May 31 2021 - 11:53

Hospitals ramp up oxygen supplies for third wave

SA has ramped up available liquid oxygen to hospitals by roughly eight times ahead of the third wave of infections, says Prof Ian Sanne, a member of the Covid-19 ministerial advisory committee.

Oxygen shortages threatened and compromised the treatment of critically ill Covid-19  patients during the second wave.

“SA has an oxygen production capacity approximately eight times the rate at which oxygen is used in winter months without Covid-19. This amount will be sufficient to support hospitals that may face a rapid increase in patients in the third wave,” said Sanne.

May 31 2021 - 09:03

China reports surge in Covid-19 cases in Guangzhou city, triggering flight cancellations

China on Monday reported a sudden surge in Covid-19 infections in the country’s south, with 18 new local cases on May 30 in the city of Guangzhou, causing a flurry of flight cancellations.

Of the 27 new coronavirus cases reported by the national health authority in its daily updates, only seven infections were imported with the remainder originating in Guangdong province.

On Monday health authorities in Guangdong province said out of the 20 new locally confirmed patients on May 30, 18 were found in Guangzhou city and two in Foshan city.

May 31 2021 - 07:14

Africa needs to boost vaccine manufacturing to combat future pandemics — President Ramaphosa

Africa needs to boost its own vaccine manufacturing capability to combat future pandemics, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday when he announced the country was moving to adjusted level 2 of the lockdown.

He said over the past seven days, there had been a daily average of 3,745 new Covid-19 infections. This is an increase of 31% on the previous week, and an increase of 66% on the week before.

“Infections are going up and we must do everything in our power to mitigate this. We once again have to remind South Africans to be vigilant and to protect themselves and each other.”