COVID-19 WRAP | SA passes the 7-million mark for the number of vaccines administered

July 28 2021 - 19:38

520 Covid-19 deaths recorded in SA in 24 hours

There were 520 Covid-19 related deaths recorded in SA in the past 24 hours, as well as 17,351 new infections.

This is according to National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) figures released on Wednesday.

The health department has previously indicated that the recorded Covid-19 deaths did not necessarily occur in the 24-hour window, but were only confirmed in that period.

July 28 2021 - 16:16

SA plans R36bn relief measures over Covid-19, riots

South Africa plans about R36bn ($2.4bn) of relief measures to support businesses and individuals affected by recent unrest and Covid-19 restrictions, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.

The interventions would be funded by better government revenues and by shifting around some spending, senior officials told a news conference, expanding on measures announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday.

July 28 2021 - 14:11

Western Cape reaches 1-million vaccinations milestone, health workers’ infection rate drops

The Western Cape government is celebrating administering 1-million vaccinations since the rollout began with healthcare workers under the Sisonke study in February.

On Tuesday the province attributed the success of the programme to an increase in its capacity, which sees it administer 30,000 vaccinations per weekday, totalling 150,000 per week at its 200 vaccination sites. 

The protection of the vaccine is evident in the reduced infection rate among health workers, said the province.

July 28 2021 - 12:24

What you said: No rush to stock up on booze after ban lifted

Readers are in no rush to refill their liquor cabinets after President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced the lifting of the ban on alcohol sales.

Ramaphosa said licensed establishments are allowed to sell booze for off-site consumption between 10am and 6pm from Monday to Thursday, and alcohol sales for on-site consumption will be permitted as per licence conditions up to 8pm.

This follows a month-long ban on alcohol sales.

While many on social media celebrated the news, TimesLIVE reported alcohol retailers haven’t seen the surge in orders experienced when previous bans were lifted. 

July 28 2021 - 11:50

US urges vaccinated Americans to wear masks indoors in many places

Americans fully vaccinated against Covid-19 should go back to wearing masks in indoor public places in regions where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly, US health authorities said on Tuesday.

In a toughening of guidance issued earlier this month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommended all students, teachers and staff at schools for kindergarten through 12th grade wear masks regardless of whether they were vaccinated.

US coronavirus cases have been rising due to the highly contagious Delta variant, which emerged in India but has quickly spread and now accounts for more than 80% of US coronavirus cases.

July 28 2021 - 10:38

Basic education department clears the air on 'threat' to teachers who are not vaccinated

Basic education spokesperson Elijah Mahlangu has cleared the air amid fears teachers who have not taken Covid-19 vaccines may lose their jobs.

Speaking on Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday, Mahlangu said the department would “accommodate” and work with teachers who refused to get vaccinated for medical, constitutional, religious or cultural reasons. 

Mahlangu said the department was looking at several options to keep working with teachers who are not vaccinated, with “letting teachers go” an absolute last resort.

July 28 2021 - 10:36

US to ship 5.66-million Pfizer vaccine doses to SA, Nigeria to get Moderna

The US government on Wednesday will ship nearly 10-million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to Nigeria and SA as the continent battles a third wave of infections, White House officials said.

Four-million doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine will go to Nigeria and 5.66-million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to SA, the officials said.

The SA shipment is the single largest by the US since it began sending vaccine shots overseas, one of the officials said. The latest shipments bring the total number of US vaccine doses sent to Africa to 16.4-million.

July 28 2021 - 08:00

IMF worries vaccine leading to economic disparity

The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday maintained its 6% global growth forecast for 2021, upgrading its outlook for the United States and other wealthy economies but cutting estimates for developing countries struggling with surging Covid-19 infections.

July 28 2021 - 07:54

Home Affairs staff, on the front line during pandemic, get vaccinations

The decision to grant Israel observer status was “even more shocking in a year in which the oppressed people of Palestine were hounded by destructive bombardments and continued illegal settlements of the land”, the SA government said on Wednesday.

July 28 2021 - 07:30

Biden considers requiring Covid-19 vaccines for federal workers

President Joe Biden said on Tuesday his administration is considering whether to require US federal employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

July 28 2021 - 07:04

SA-born billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong aims his shot at vaccine booster

South African-born US biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong is backing a Covid-19 vaccine candidate that he sees as having potential as a universal booster of other pandemic shots. 

ImmunityBio Inc, of which the 68-year-old holds about 13%, is developing a vaccine called hAd5 that’s intended to specifically activate T-cells that scientists believe are a key part of the immune response against Covid-19. This quarter, the South African-born biotech tycoon will begin trials in the country, the scene of what he calls a Covid-19 “firestorm” as the Delta variant drives a third wave of infections.

Most vaccines work to elicit immune proteins called antibodies blocking the spike protein that the coronavirus uses to enter cells. San Diego-based ImmunityBio is trying to raise T-cells against both the spike and another viral protein, called the nucleocapsid, Soon-Shiong said. This could make it ideal for use as a booster for different types of vaccines, he said in an interview.

July 28 2021 - 07:00

Will drinking alcohol affect how well the Covid-19 vaccine works?

The lifting of the ban on alcohol sales under level 3 lockdown has raised concerns about whether liquor consumption interferes with the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine.  

Johannesburg-based general practitioner Dr Marlin McKay told TimesLIVE doctors always advise patients against taking medication with alcohol but said there is no scientific evidence that it interrupts the vaccine. 

“No doctor will ever advise that it's OK to take medicine while under the influence,” he said.

Dr Hillary Mukudu warned people to steer away from consuming alcohol during the vaccination period.

July 28 2021 - 06:30

India reports 43,654 new Covid-19 cases in last 24 hours

India reported 43,654 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the federal government said on Wednesday.

The country's total case load now stands at 31.44 million infections, according to a Reuters tally. 

Reuters

July 28 2021 - 06:00

Focus on Covid-19 spells trouble for childhood vaccinations

With Covid-19 vaccinations in full swing in many parts of the world, childhood inoculation should not be put on the back burner.

The warning is based on findings by public health researchers who worry that a drop in vaccination during the pandemic could give rise to preventable childhood infections and deaths.

According to the University of Washington study, the decline in the measles (MCV1) and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP3) vaccines — which protect against deadly infectious diseases in childhood — could increase disease outbreaks once Covid-19 prevention measures subside. Vaccine mop-up campaigns should be intensified, the experts urged.

The study, which appears in the Lancet, shows that in 2020 the global coverage of DTP3 fell by about 8% to 76%, a level that has not been seen in 13 years. On the other hand the measles vaccines dropped by 7.7% to 79%, a level not seen in 15 years.

While these disruptions in vaccinations were severe in the earlier months of the pandemic, and countries have since started mopping up in the second half of 2020, experts said such efforts were far from completion, with about 17 million children still missing doses of those two vaccines.