COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 5,782 new Covid-19 infections in 24 hours

June 02 2021 - 22:54

Gauteng cases surging as SA records 5,782 new Covid-19 infections in 24 hours

Covid-19 cases in Gauteng are surging at greater rates than the rest of the country, the health ministry said on Wednesday night.

Because of this, the ministry has encouraged residents of the province to adhere to non-pharmaceutical interventions, including wearing a mask, washing hands, sanitising and maintaining social distancing.

This came as the ministry announced that there were 5,782 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to date to 1,675,013. The new infections came from 45,484 tests.

June 2 2021 - 14:56

Primary schools will reopen full-time in July, but what if there is a third wave?

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga has allayed fears around the full-time return of primary school pupils in grades R to 7 from July 26, saying the department would be guided by the national coronavirus command council and data from the health department.

Motshekga was responding to questions on Tuesday after a presentation from the basic education department on the status of school preparedness for a possible third wave of Covid-19 infections.

“We have a team working with the health department and monitoring infections on a daily basis and that is what guides us ... in the decision to say it would be ideal to send younger children back to school,” said the minister.

June 2 2021 - 14:45

Increased testing behind alarming Covid-19 surge in Northern Cape, says premier

A dramatic increase in Covid-19 testing capacity is the major reason the Northern Cape  reported a surge in the number of positive cases. 

Northern Cape premier Dr Zamani Saul said at a briefing in Kimberley on Wednesday that about 905 Covid-19 tests per 100,000 people were being done every day, putting the province in the number one slot in SA for the number of tests being carried out.

June 2 2021 - 13:25 

Alarming rise in Nelson Mandela Bay’s Covid-19 cases

The number of active Covid-19 cases has more than doubled in Nelson Mandela Bay within three weeks, with 61.9% of all new cases reported in the Eastern Cape coming from the city.

June 2 2021 - 12:30

Vietnam seeking 20 mln doses of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine this year

Vietnam is in talks to buy 20 million doses of the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V this year, its health minister said on Wednesday.

Vietnam, which has yet to start mass vaccinations, had approved use of the Russian vaccine in March. It is currently dealing with its biggest outbreak, although its overall case and fatality numbers remain relatively low. 

Reuters 

June 2 2021 - 12:15 

WHO approves Sinovac Covid shot in second Chinese milestone

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday it has approved a Covid-19 vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech (SVA.O) for emergency use listing, paving the way for a second Chinese shot to be used in poor countries.

June 2 2021 - 12:00

From Nigeria to Brazil 'halo' crops reap pandemic profits

In a flowing cream hijab, Karima M. Imam walks through her fields in scrubland in northern Nigeria as workers harvest a gnarled brown root that has turned gold since Covid struck: ginger.

"If I had the capital, I'd plant more. People are looking for ginger now, and there is not enough," she said at her five hectare farm on the outskirts of Kaduna.

As the pandemic rages, people around the world have sought to guard against illness by turning to so-called halo foods. While scientists have dismissed many claims on social media about how superfoods can fend off the virus, their positive role as part of a healthy diet is widely acknowledged.

As demand for halo foods surges, prices for ginger in Nigeria and acai berries in Brazil have leapt while exports of Indian turmeric and Chinese garlic have jumped in the past year.

"The demand for ginger is high because they are using it as medicine," Imam said, adding that during the lockdown she boiled ginger with turmeric and garlic to take as a remedy.

Increasingly health conscious consumers have given an already buoyant global spice market a further boost during the pandemic, heightening investor interest in the sector.

Singapore's Olam International completed the purchase of major U.S. spice manufacturer Olde Thompson last month while Norway's Orkla took a controlling stake in Indian spice exporter Eastern Condiments in March.

In Nigeria, a 50 kg bag of ginger, which can help the body ward off germs and is used as a cold remedy, now sells for 15,000 naira ($39), up from 4,000 to 6,000 naira two years ago.

Thanks to the ginger rush, Imam has been able to start building a new house in nearby Millennium City, with a small warehouse attached so she can store and sell fresh ginger, which goes for more than when it has been cut and dried.

Prices began rising last year but since January they have taken off due to pandemic-related demand, said Florence Edwards, national president of the Ginger Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria.

Reuters 

June 2 2021 - 11:28

AstraZeneca commits to 1.8m Thai vaccine doses amid supply anxiety

Drugmaker AstraZeneca said on Wednesday it would soon provide Thailand with 1.8 million doses of locally manufactured Covid-19 vaccine, the first of multiple batches this month, just days out from the launch of its mass vaccination drive.

The announcement in a joint statement by AstraZeneca and Siam Bioscience, a firm owned by Thailand's king, comes amid public anxiety about vaccine supplies, as the country suffers its most severe outbreak so far.

The statement did not say whether the Thai plant would make all 6 million doses that Thailand's government has promised would be available this month.

The government's immunisation drive starts on Monday and relies almost entirely on its reserved 61 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, the majority of which it said would come from Siam Bioscience, which is making vaccines for the first time.

Questions about Siam Bioscience meeting production targets are sensitive because King Maha Vajiralongkorn is its sole owner.

Reuters

June 2 2021 - 10:21

Grade 12 midyear exams scrapped to make up for lost time

The department of education is cancelling the midyear exams for grade 12 pupils to allow them time to cover the curriculum.

In a presentation to the portfolio committee on basic education on the impact of Covid-19 on teaching and learning on Tuesday, minister Angie Motshekga said the department wanted to keep the grade 12s in class for as long as possible.

She also addressed issues concerning the risk-adjusted differentiated strategy and readiness of primary schools to receive all pupils from July.

June 2 2021 - 10:00

Angie Motshekga supports calls to vaccinate teachers but can't commit to a date yet

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga has supported calls for teachers to be vaccinated but admits there is no rollout schedule to do so, amid fears of the looming third wave of infections.

The minister said though there is a lot of “sympathy” around the issue and her department has advocated for teachers to be prioritised, members of the SA Police Service and SA National Defence Force are also considered front-line workers.

“The minister of health has committed that as soon as he gets certainty regarding the availability of the vaccines, he will prioritise front-line workers. Whether it's on a certain date in June, we hope so, but I can't commit myself here and say we have agreed on this date with the minister,” said Motshekga.

June 2 2021 - 09:52

Israel sees probable link between Pfizer vaccine and myocarditis cases

Israel's Health Ministry said on Tuesday it had found the small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men who received Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine in Israel were likely linked to their vaccination.

June 2 2021 - 09:00

Russia's CoviVac more than 80% effective against Covid-19 -Ifax

Russia's third vaccine against Covid-19, CoviVac, is more than 80% effective according to preliminary data, the Interfax news agency cited the vaccine's developer as saying on Wednesday.

The Chumakov Centre could produce six times more than the previously planned 10 million doses of the vaccine a year, Interfax added. 

-REUTERS

June 2 2021 - 07:29

Recession and violence among Covid-19 side-effects in Africa, report finds

Much of Africa may have been spared the death toll Covid-19 has brought to other regions, but it faces recession, growing violence and higher unemployment because of the pandemic, a report revealed on Wednesday.

“The global economic shutdown has driven Africa into recession for the first time in 30 years, with severe repercussions for unemployment, poverty, inequalities and food insecurity,” said the 2021 Ibrahim Forum Report.

The report was released ahead of the annual conference this weekend of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, which promotes good governance in Africa.

June 2 2021 - 07:17

India reports 132,788 new Covid-19 infections, 3,207 deaths

India on Wednesday reported a daily rise in new coronavirus infections of 132,788 cases over the past 24 hours, while deaths rose by 3,207.

The South Asian nation's tally of infections now stands at 28.3 million, while the death toll has reached 335,102, health ministry data showed. 

-REUTERS

June 2 2021 - 06:37

Gauteng sports department denies shocking claims over disbursement of Covid-19 millions

The Gauteng department of sports, arts and culture has refuted claims that it paid two companies R16.5m to disburse R13.2m in Covid-19 relief funds.

This comes after the DA in the Gauteng provincial legislature claimed that in a written reply to a question, the department’s MEC Mbali Hlophe revealed the two companies received R16.5m to disburse the R13.2m.

The department had contracted two companies, Business Arts SA and Gauteng Sports Confederation, to pay R6,000 grants to 2,201 artists and athletes who were financially impacted by the Covid-19 lockdown.