COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 319 new Covid-19 cases

November 04 2021 - 21:25

SA records 319 new Covid-19 cases

November 04 2021 - 17:25

Gauteng hits Covid-19 vaccination milestone with 6-millionth jab

The Gauteng government has administered more than 6-million Covid-19 vaccines.

Of the figure, 3,076,767 are people who are fully vaccinated with the Pfizer or J&J vaccines.

“This milestone comes at a time when the province is taking the vaccination programme to retailers, shopping centres and other workplaces to widen access to vaccines to as many people as possible,” said Gauteng health spokesperson Kwara Kekana.

November 04 2021 - 15:39

Active Covid-19 cases in Western Cape dip below 1,000 for first time in 18 months

The number of active Covid-19 cases in the Western Cape slipped below 1,000 on Thursday.

With just 987 confirmed cases — 60% of them in Cape Town — the province is back to where it was more than 18 months ago.

The last time it had fewer than 1,000 active cases was on April 21 2020, six weeks after the first two Covid-19 diagnoses in the Western Cape were confirmed.

November 04 2021 - 12:00

Covid-hit China keeps vigil at borders, restricts local tourism

China is on high alert at its international ports of entry to reduce the risk of Covid-19 cases entering from abroad, and it has stepped up restrictions within the country amid a growing outbreak less than 100 days before the Beijing Winter Olympics.

The National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Thursday it would continue to guide citizens not to go abroad for non-urgent and non-essential reasons.

The dramatic drop in Chinese travellers since early last year has left a $255 billion annual spending hole in the global tourism market.

The Chinese immigration authority also vowed to strictly implement Covid-19 restrictions on the movement of people involved in the Winter Olympics in and out of China.

China aims to ensure no outbreaks among people arriving from overseas for the Winter Olympics, according to state television, citing an official on the Beijing organising committee.

Authorities have also tightened Covid-19 curbs in the capital ahead of a major gathering of the top members of the Communist Party next week.

Since mid-October, over 700 locally transmitted cases with confirmed symptoms have been reported in China.

While the number is a trickle compared with infections in other countries, it has led to a growing wave of restrictions being imposed on local tourism and travel under Beijing's zero-tolerance policy.

In the current outbreak, the number of provincial regions with infections have risen to 19, more than any other domestic flare-up this year.

Checks on flights, ships as well as cargo at land ports will be strictly implemented, the immigration authority said.

Ruili, a remote town bordering Myanmar in southwestern Yunnan province, has battled with multiple rounds of infections, raising concern that the virus may find other routes into China.

Local officials have imposed strict curbs to prevent the spread of the virus to other parts of the country, despite disruptions to the local economy.

A supplier of home decorating materials in Ruili said his income had plummeted by about 80% this year from 2020, as he could not enter the residences of some clients under lockdown.

"My family used to be well-off financially," he told Reuters by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity." Now, having food is good enough."

With one specific community in Ruili deemed of higher risk, Yunnan on Wednesday banned local travel agencies from arranging group tours to and from the province.

Tourism is vital for Yunnan, known for its natural scenery and ethnic cultural diversity, with the region typically hosting half a billion visitors a year.

In 2019, before the pandemic, Yunnan raked in 1.1 trillion yuan ($172 billion) in tourism revenue, nearly three times what Australia earned from tourism that year.

A staffer surnamed Ao at a hotel in the provincial capital Kunming said the number of guests had fallen since August due to the sporadic infections in Ruili.

"Previously there were many customers from outside the province, and now most of our customers come from other areas in Yunnan," Ao said

Reuters

November 04 2021 - 09:00

China administered 2.294 bln doses of covid-19 vaccines as of Nov 3

China administered about 7.9 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines on Nov. 3, bringing the total number of doses administered to 2.294 billion, data from the National Health Commission showed on Thursday.

Reuters

November 04 2021 - 08:35

Ukraine total Covid-19 cases cross 3 million with new daily record

The total number of Covid-19 cases in Ukraine has exceeded 3 million with more than 70,000 deaths, the health ministry said on Thursday.

The ministry said it had registered a record daily high of 27,377 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, exceeding the previous high of 26,870 on October 29.

Ministry data also showed 699 new coronavirus-related deaths.

Ukraine has registered record-high rates of new cases and deaths from the coronavirus in recent weeks, and the government has imposed strict lockdown restrictions to curb new infections.

Several thousand people blocked traffic in the centre of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Wednesday in a protest against coronavirus restrictions and mandatory vaccinations.

Vaccines have become mandatory for some state workers, and in "red" zone areas including Kyiv only vaccinated people or those with negative Covid test results are allowed into restaurants, gyms and on public transport. 

Reuters

November 04 2021 - 08:00

Focus turns to parents as young kids are vaccinated

The US began inoculating children aged 5 to 11 one day after the CDC recommended the Pfizer shot for broad use in that age group – opening up eligibility to some 28 million kids.

November 04 2021 - 07:00

J&J booster shots on the cards for health workers as Sisonke 2 trials set to begin

Access to the second Sisonke study trial for healthcare workers will begin soon, the SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and national health department said.

“By rolling out the Sisonke study, we bought valuable time for healthcare workers, and were able to protect them four months ahead of the national rollout and ahead of the Delta-driven third wave” said Prof Glenda Gray, one of the conational principal investigators of the Sisonke study.

The Sisonke booster vaccinations will be offered from the week of November 8 at selected sites to be announced in all nine provinces.

November 04 2021 - 06:42

Vaccine side effect or vax anxiety? What you need to know

Getting vaccinated for Covid-19 can cause anxiety which can be incorrectly misinterpreted as a side effect or a reaction to the vaccine.

November 04 2021 - 06:00