COVID-19 WRAP | SA records more than 5,000 new Covid-19 cases for second straight day

June 03 2021 - 22:37

SA records more than 5,000 new Covid-19 cases for second straight day

SA recorded 5,360 new Covid-19 cases and 54 deaths in the past 24 hours, health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said on Thursday.

This means that there have now been a cumulative 1,680,373 infections and 56,765 deaths recorded in SA since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the country in March last year.

Mkhize said the new infections came from 43,776 tests, at a positivity rate of 12.24%.

June 03 2021 - 16:44

Stock-outs loom at some vaccination sites as J&J jabs are held back

The Western Cape health department confirmed on Thursday that the delayed arrival of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccines to the country will mean a major “supply constraint in the coming weeks”.

This could mean stock-outs at several sites set up to vaccinate those over the age of 60 and healthcare workers not yet vaccinated under the Sisonke programme.

Dr Keith Cloete, head of health in the province, said: “Up until last week, 124,000 doses were received, but there is a supply constraint for the coming weeks because of delays in receiving J&J doses.”

June 03 2021 - 15:50

Here's why some people are sceptical about Covid-19 vaccines

Hesitancy about Covid-19 vaccinations is being fuelled by a perceived lack of information from the government and the electronic system used to register for the jab.

These were some of the findings of a community action research project at an informal settlement in the south of Johannesburg.

Prof Kate Alexander, the South African Research Chair in Social Change at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), led the research project in Protea South informal settlement in collaboration with the Community Organising Working Group (COWG) of the C19 People’s Coalition.

June 03 2021 - 13:05

You could soon get the Covid-19 jab at work — here's what you need to know

Health department director-general Sandile Buthelezi said on Wednesday the government is ready to pilot workplace vaccination sites, and called on businesses to come on board to ensure the success of the programme.

The DG said those who work in sectors like education, public service and administration, agriculture, forestry and fishing, electricity and transportation have more chance of contracting Covid-19.

“We’re not saying they are more important than others, but rather more on the vulnerability on transmission,” he said on Wednesday in a statement.

June 03 2021 - 11:00

June 03 2021 - 10:31

Ghana soccer player tests positive for Covid-19 after arriving in Japan

A player on Ghana's Under-24 team has tested positive for the novel coronavirus after arriving in Japan for a friendly match, the Japan Football Association (JFA) said on Thursday.

The player had been isolated from the rest of the squad and staff, who are themselves isolated at a designated facility, the JFA said in a statement.

The news comes just two days after the JFA cancelled a friendly match against Jamaica as 10 of their players were unable to board a flight to Japan due to coronavirus testing issues.

June 03 2021 - 09:50

Indonesia cancels haj pilgrimage again due to coronavirus concerns

Indonesia has cancelled the haj pilgrimage for people in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation for a second year in a row due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, the religious affairs minister said on Thursday.

Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas told a briefing Saudi Arabia, where the pilgrimage takes place, had not opened access to the haj.

-REUTERS

June 03 2021 - 08:30

Slideshow: Cubans turn to pigeon breeding amid lockdown

Cubans are increasingly breeding pigeons as a form of escape, as many are staying indoors due to lockdowns.

June 03 2021 - 08:00

Los Angeles art initiative brings therapy to the streets

From a peaceful altar honoring victims of Covid-19, to murals featuring survivors of violence, this art initiative aims to spark awareness about mental health to help Los Angeles heal.

June 03 2021 - 07:00

Free beer, sports tickets as White House pushes vaccinations

From free beer to free childcare, President Joe Biden touted new efforts to get 70% of US adults at least one shot of vaccination against Covid-19 by the July 4 Independence Day holiday.

June 03 2021 - 06:59

SA expects FDA nod for Johnson & Johnson vaccines by Friday

SA’s medicines regulator expects the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will approve the release of Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) Covid-19 vaccines later this week, clearing the way for the government to rapidly scale up its mass inoculation drive.

The government’s plans to use the shot as the workhorse of its vaccination programme were dealt an unexpected blow in early May, after the FDA flagged problems at a US company contracted by J&J to make a key vaccine ingredient.

The development put a hold on millions of doses of J&J shots made by contractors that relied on the components made by Emergent BioSolutions, including SA’s Aspen Pharmacare, which at that stage had 1.1 million doses of the vaccine ready for dispatch.

June 03 2021 - 06:34

Peru has highest Covid death toll per capita, now worst in the world

Peru almost tripled its official Covid-19 death toll following a government review, making it the country with the worst death rate per capita, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

June 03 2021 - 06:26

Australia extends Melbourne Covid-19 lockdown for second week

The Australian state of Victoria extended on Wednesday a snap coronavirus lockdown in its capital of Melbourne for a second week, as it scrambles to rein in a highly contagious variant first detected in India, but will ease some curbs elsewhere.

June 03 2021 - 06:20

Getting vaccine is 'not a partisan act,' says Biden

President Joe Biden encouraged Americans to get vaccinated against Covid-19 and said that getting a shot is 'not a partisan act.'

June 03 2021 - 06:10

June 03 2021 - 06:00

India signs deal with domestic vaccine maker Biological-E for 300m doses

 India's government said on Thursday it has inked a deal with domestic vaccine maker Biological-E for 300 million Covid-19 vaccine doses for 15 billion rupees ($205.62 million), the first such order for unapproved shots.

The vaccine, which is currently undergoing phase-3 clinical trials, is likely to be available in the next few months, the health ministry said in a statement.

Biological E., which also has a separate deal to produce about 600 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 shot annually, said on Tuesday it entered into a licensing agreement with Providence Therapeutics Holdings to manufacture the Canadian company's mRNA Covid-19 vaccine in India.

Biological-E will run a clinical trial of Providence's vaccine in India and seek emergency use approval.

India, world's second most populous country has suffered a disastrous second wave of infections that is only now abating. Health experts India needs to carry out mass vaccination of its 1.3 billion people to reduce the impact of subsequent waves.

Reuters