COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 303 new Covid-19 related deaths as total cases surpass 2 million

July 02 2021 - 19:32

24,270 Covid-19 cases recorded as SA sees highest ever single-day increase

SA saw its highest ever number of single-day Covid-19 infections on Friday, with 24,270 new cases recorded in 24 hours.

This is significantly higher than the previous single-day high of 21,980 recorded on January 8.

Figures from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Friday showed that the new infections took the country to another grim milestone: there have now been more than 2m cumulative cases recorded.

July 02 2021 - 18:15

SA desperate for change but loss of life cannot be reversed, Moseneke hears

The IFP has made an impassioned plea to the Electoral Commission (IEC) and other stakeholders to do the right thing when deciding if local government elections should go ahead later this year.

The right thing would take into consideration people's lives and their democratic rights amid the deadly Covid-19 pandemic and collapsing municipalities, IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa said.

Speaking at the Moseneke inquiry — which has been hearing submissions on whether the October elections would be free and fair — Hlabisa said Moseneke had a momentous task, but he had a confidence in his ability to deliver a fair report.

July 02 2021 - 18:01

10,000 Gauteng teachers 'refusing to be vaccinated', says Panyaza Lesufi

The Gauteng education department has expressed shock at the high number of teachers and support staff that are refusing the Covid-19 vaccination, saying even those with comorbidities have shown reluctance.

On Friday, education MEC Panyaza Lesufi appealed to education staff not to miss the opportunity to protect themselves against the deadly virus with vaccines “which millions across the world are seeking”.

He said key stakeholders in the education sector, such as unions and school governing bodies (SGBs), have thrown their support behind the programme “as they are well aware of the challenges that the virus is having on the provision of quality education to our children in Gauteng”.

July 02 2021 - 15:40

Bloemfontein retirement village nurse suspended over 14 Covid-19 deaths

A nursing sister working at an upmarket Bloemfontein retirement village has been suspended following the deaths due to Covid-19 of 14 elderly residents and her alleged failure to implement health protocols.

Her suspension and subsequent disciplinary action relates to a Covid-19 outbreak at Striata retirement village between May and June this year.

Prof Voet du Plessis, a trustee at the retirement centre, confirmed the deaths and the nursing sister’s suspension to TimesLIVE on Friday.

July 02 2021 - 15:29

Rat-infested, overburdened hospitals in Eastern Cape raise red flag — public protector

Rat infestation, a malfunctioning kitchen, rising Covid-19 cases among staff and a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) are some of the discoveries the public protector’s office made during an investigation into worsening conditions at Livingstone and other Eastern Cape hospitals.

These discoveries were made in August 2020, when deputy public protector Kholeka Gcaleka and her team visited Uitenhage, Livingstone, Mthatha and Sulenkama hospitals.

The report was released on Wednesday, detailing the investigations carried out by their office last year. One of the investigations was into the worsening conditions of Eastern Cape health facilities.

July 02 2021 - 15:23

‘We see death’: Private facility helps reduce pressure on hospitals as critical Covid-19 patients surge

On-site medic Anees Kara, short on sleep, quickly rushes to attend to a patient whose high blood pressure has suddenly increased inside a step-down facility turned into a Covid-19 ward.

The patient had been brought into the privately owned facility to avoid waiting for hours to secure a bed in overwhelmed hospitals as the third wave of infections ravages SA.

“We don’t see dead people. The funeral services see dead people. We see death. That’s the difference. We see death happening. We try to get to patients on time but unfortunately we can’t always do that,” said Kara.

July 02 2021 - 14:57

Gauteng health brings in 5,000 more staff, extra beds for third wave peak

In a bid to cope with the rising number of Covid-19 patients, the Gauteng department of health has recruited more than 5,000 extra personnel and added more beds in their facilities.

The department's Dr Ntsakisi Maluleke said during a briefing the provincial department had roped in an additional 5,541 personnel to man beds.  

As of June 23, the seven-day rolling average of new admissions was 631, she said.

July 02 2021 - 14:02

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s powers do not override existing laws, argues SAB

SA Breweries (SAB) is awaiting a court date for a fresh legal challenge to the alcohol sales ban under lockdown regulations.

SAB filed papers in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday challenging the ban on administrative law grounds. This is in addition to an earlier court application by SAB to review and set aside regulations prohibiting the sale of alcohol. That application is still pending.

“No official documented reasons have been issued for the ban despite repeated requests. SAB’s application is solely to review and set aside regulation 29 of the new regulations, and SAB is not attacking any of the other regulations published on June 28 2021,” the company said.

July 02 2021 - 13:35

Lindiwe Zulu in talks with Treasury about extending R350 Covid-19 grant

Social development minister Lindiwe Zulu says her department has put in a request to the National Treasury to get the R350 Covid-19 social relief grant extended, as the country grapples with the third wave of the virus.

“We did submit our request for the continuation of the grant. We are in the third wave already right now and therefore we are waiting to see whether it will be possible to extend the grant,” Zulu said at a media briefing on Friday.

She was, however, conscious of the financial constraints the Treasury was going through during this time.

July 02 2021 - 13:27

DA says elections must go ahead, UDM warns it's a superspreader recipe

The DA has described calls for local government elections to be postponed as irresponsible and emotional statements.

Party head of elections Werner Horn shared these sentiments at the Moseneke inquiry on Friday. Stakeholders are giving oral and written submissions at the inquiry on the feasibility of holding free and fair elections under Covid-19 conditions. 

The DA became the latest political party after ActionSA to say elections must go ahead, despite overwhelming evidence before the inquiry that the country could be into the fourth wave of Covid-19 infections by then and population immunity would not have been achieved. 

July 02 2021 - 12:50

Russia's Covid-19 daily death toll climbs to new pandemic high

Russia registered a record number of daily Covid-19-related deaths on Friday amid a surge in cases across the world's largest country that the authorities blame on the infectious Delta variant.

The government's coronavirus task force said 679 people had died in the last 24 hours, the highest figure confirmed in a single day since the pandemic began.

It also reported 23,218 new infections in the last 24 hours, including 6,893 in Moscow.

July 02 2021 - 12:27

Ireland to speed up vaccinating younger people in Delta battle

Ireland will give 18- to 34-year-olds the option of receiving a Covid-19 vaccine one to two months earlier than scheduled in a bid to slow the spread of the Delta variant of the disease and resume a delayed reopening of the economy.

Ireland had planned to resume indoor drinking and eating in bars and restaurants from Monday but announced a slowdown of the easing of restrictions this week due to concerns about the Delta variant, which now accounts for around 70% of new cases.

Almost 45% of Ireland's 3.7 million adult population have been fully vaccinated and 65% have received their first of two doses. The health service has been working its way down the age groups and began to vaccinate 35- to 39-year-olds in the last week.

July 02 2021 - 11:47

Police to start receiving Covid-19 vaccines from Monday

The vaccination of police officers is scheduled to start on Monday.

They are the next frontline group to be vaccinated after healthcare workers, teachers, school employees and correctional services officers, who have been receiving their jabs over the past few weeks.

Police minister Bheki Cele's office said in a statement that the plan was to vaccinate more than 180,000 officers.

July 02 2021 - 11:38

Jubilant Chileans return to ski slopes as second Covid-19 wave subsides

Chileans have returned to the slopes of the Andes mountains for the start of the ski season or the first time in two years, after last winter's season was scuppered by Covid-19 19-related lockdowns.

Scores of day-trippers from the capital, Santiago, took to skis, snowboards and toboggans to make the most of the thick powdery snow, with their faces obscured entirely by a combination of masks and goggles.

Chile was first hit by coronavirus in March last year, resulting in long months of strict lockdowns that lasted on and off until the end of the year.

July 02 2021 - 10:05

Australia to halve arrivals from overseas, offers Covid-19 exit road map

Australia will halve the number of arrivals from overseas as its coronavirus hotel quarantine system creaks under pressure from outbreaks of the highly transmissible Delta variant, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday.

The new restrictions on travel come as Australia fights outbreaks of the Delta variant simultaneously in three state capital cities, meaning nearly half of all Australians are currently under strict orders to stay at home. Most recent outbreaks have been traced to leaks in hotel quarantine.

Australia shut its international borders early last year largely to non-citizens. Permanent residents and returning Australian travellers, except those exiting New Zealand, have to quarantine in hotels for two weeks at their own expense.

July 02 2021 - 10:02

J&J vaccine is strong against Delta variant, improves over time with Beta too

Data has come to light that the J&J vaccine works better against the Delta variant than against the Beta variant of Covid-19, but the efficacy of the vaccine in the case of both variants improves over time.

Prof Glenda Gray said at a health department briefing on Friday, “We can see there is less immune escape in the Delta variant as compared to the Beta variant, but over time, both improve and the data shows that there is surprising durability by eight months.”

She added, “The J&J works well in South Africa with the difficult Beta variant and all the data also shows an immediate and sustained response against the Delta.”

July 02 2021 - 08:40

J&J's Covid-19 vaccine shows promise against Delta variant

Johnson & Johnson said late Thursday that its single-shot Covid-19 vaccine showed strong promise against the Delta variant and other emerging strains and also provided durable protection against the infection more broadly.

Data showed that the durability of immune response for recipients of its vaccine lasted at least eight months, the healthcare company said, adding that its vaccine was 85% effective and could also help prevent hospitalisation and death.

First identified in India, Delta is becoming the globally dominant variant of the coronavirus, according to the World Health Organisation.

July 02 2021 - 07:23

RECORDED | Acting health minister Mmamoloko Kubayi gives update on Covid-19 vaccination roll-out plan

July 02 2021 - 06:55

EU-approved shots work for all Covid strains: EMA

Europe’s drug regulator said that the Covid-19 vaccines approved by the European Union offered protection against all coronavirus variants but vaccine manufacturers should stay alert to monitor potential new threats

July 02 2021 - 06:40

India's daily Covid-19 deaths rise by 853, toll crosses 400,000

India reported 853 new Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed on Friday, taking its total toll beyond 400,000.New infections reported over the same period were 46,617. 

Reuters

July 02 2021 - 06:30

Pets often catch Covid-19 from humans, study finds

If you think you have Covid-19, it might be best to stay away from your pets, says the author of a Dutch study that found a surprising number of dogs and cats may be getting infected.

July 02 2021 - 06:20

Soccer crowds are driving Europe Covid-19 cases says WHO

Crowds gathering for the Euro 2020 soccer tournament are driving the current rise in coronavirus infections in Europe, the World Health Organization said

July 02 2021 - 06:10

EU Covid-19 passports debut, but airlines fear chaos

Representatives of Europe’s biggest airlines have warned of chaos and hours-long queues unless the roll-out of the European Union’s digital Covid-19 certificate is better coordinated

July 02 2021 - 06:00

Losing a month could be like losing a finger: minister on schools reopening