COVID-19 WRAP | SA records more than 500 Covid-19 deaths and 13,200 cases in 24 hours

August 25 2021 - 19:33

SA records more than 500 Covid-19 deaths and 13,200 cases in 24 hours

There were 516 Covid-19 related deaths recorded across the country in the past 24 hours, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Wednesday.

The fatalities pushed SA to another grim coronavirus milestone, with more than 80,000 now confirmed to have died from Covid-19 related complications. To date, 80,469 people have died, latest statistics show.

The NICD said that there were 13,251 new Covid-19 cases identified in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,722,202.

August 25 2021 - 15:56

Nervous to get vaccinated? Doctors debunk common myths

Infectious disease doctors treating Covid-19 patients at Groote Schuur and Tygerberg hospitals and vaccine experts have debunked six common myths about the risks of Covid-19 vaccines, reassuring people that they are not only safe but also save lives.

By Wednesday, 11-million vaccinations had gone into people’s arms and 4.6-million South Africans were fully vaccinated. But misinformation being shared about vaccines has increased people’s fears — and the need for accurate information.

August 25 2021 — 13:00

POLL | Should a 'vaccine passport' to buy booze be implemented in SA?

You may soon need to have a “vaccine passport” to buy booze in SA.

The proposal is due to be presented on Thursday to the National Health Council, an advisory body made up of leaders from the lower spheres of government that reports to health minister Joe Phaahla, BusinessDay reported.

The publication said the SA Liquor Brand owners Association (Salba) was discussing the proposal as part of a broader initiative to increase Covid-19 vaccinations in the country

August 25 2021 — 11:00

'Get a refund from your medical school': Inside Tim Noakes & Shabir Madhi’s vaccine debate

Wits University professor of vaccinology Dr Shabir Madhi and emeritus professor at the University of Cape Town Tim Noakes heated up social media recently with their debate on Covid-19 vaccines.

It all started after Noakes commented on a video allegedly "indicting" US White House chief medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci.

He questioned whether it was "finally beginning to unravel, as Dr Judy Mikovits predicted it would nearly two years ago".

August 25 2021 — 09:00

R350 grants are being paid from Wednesday: Seven of your questions about payments answered

Applicants who have been approved to receive the R350 social relief of distress grant will start receiving their payments from Wednesday, said the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa).

The grant will be paid until March 2022 and is aimed at assisting the unemployed and those affected by the unrest and looting that recently ravaged KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

According to the department of social development, the grant is “intended for persons in dire material need who are unable to meet their families’ most basic needs”.

August 25 2021 — 08:28

18+ and just got jabbed? Why you may be more likely to experience vaccine side effects

Last week Covid-19 vaccinations opened to those aged 18 to 35. While many young people have registered and have received their first dose of the vaccine, others may be next in line and curious about what to expect, particularly in terms of side effects.

The way one person may experience vaccine side effects can be vastly different to another. While one person may experience several side effects of varying intensity another may experience nothing at all.

According to reports, it appears younger people are more likely to experience side effects after receiving a vaccine than older people.

August 25 2021 — 08:12

Taiwan reports no new domestic Covid-19 cases, first time since May 9

Taiwan reported zero new domestic COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the first time since May 9 it has logged no community transmissions, with the pandemic at home now well under control.

Reuters

August 25  2021 — 07:20

US to donate 1m Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines to Vietnam - Harris

The United States will donate 1 million Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses to Vietnam, Vice President Kamala Harris told Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during a meeting in Hanoi on Wednesday.

Vietnam has one of the lowest Covid-19 vaccination rates in Asia, with just under 2% of its 98 million people fully-vaccinated.

Reuters

August 25  2021 — 07:00

How will South Africans abroad get the vaccine?

South Africans living abroad will not miss the opportunity to get the Covid-19 vaccine, and will be vaccinated in the countries in which they are residing. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen international borders close over the past 18 months and the introduction of strict regulations controlling movement between many countries to try curb the spread of the coronavirus.

This has left many South Africans abroad unable to take part in the national Covid-19 vaccination rollout programme.

August 25  2021 — 06:20

US Covid-19 vaccine approval is 'seismic' shift for legality of mandates, experts say

Formal US approval of the Pfizer Inc /BioNTech SE Covid-19 vaccine will make it nearly impossible to successfully challenge mandates by employers, legal experts said.

The decision by the Food and Drug Administration to give full approval to the vaccine is “seismic,” said Brian Dean Abramson, an author on vaccine law.

He said it will become extremely difficult to challenge the FDA's decision and the mandates that flow from it.

On Monday, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine became the first to secure full FDA validation, prompting calls for governments and private employers to make the shots mandatory.

Covid-19 vaccines have been available in the US since December under the an emergency use authorisation (EUA) by the FDA.

Language in the EUA law states that recipients must be informed of benefits and risks of the vaccine and given the option to accept or refuse it.

That language raised some uncertainty regarding employer mandates, which are usually considered legal, said Dorit Reiss, a professor at UC Hastings Law. “With full approval, that is removed.”

Following the FDA announcement on Monday, CVS Health Corp , Chevron Corp — the second-largest US oil producer — and Goldman Sachs issued mandates for some employees.

Legal experts said there already was a growing consensus that employers could mandate an emergency vaccine.

During the pandemic, both the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Justice issued guidance in support of vaccine mandates, provided exceptions were made for medical conditions and religious beliefs.

But emergency vaccine requirements have not gone unchallenged. At least a dozen lawsuits have been filed, mostly by students against colleges, but also by employees fighting allegations of wrongful termination for refusing a shot.

Most of the cases prominently feature arguments that vaccines approved on an emergency basis could not be required, seizing on language in the emergency authorisation law that requires consent from the vaccine recipient.

Isaac Legaretta, for example, said he was never told he could refuse the vaccine required by the Dona Ana Detention Center in New Mexico where he worked.

“Quite the opposite, he was advised that he would be fired if he did so,” said the Legaretta lawsuit, which was filed in February and is pending.

Reuters

August 25  2021 — 06:10

New Zealand reports 62 new Covid-19 cases in community

New Zealand has 62 new Covid-19 cases in the community, the director-general of Health Ashley Bloomfield said on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases in the latest outbreak to 210.So far 12 of these cases are in the capital Wellington while the rest are in the largest city Auckland, he said. 

Reuters

August 25  2021 — 06:00

US could control Covid-19 by spring 2022, says Fauci

The US could get Covid-19 under control by early next year if vaccinations ramp up, Dr. Anthony Fauci said