COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 17,154 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours

December 11 2021 -  21:00

SA records 17,154 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours

SA recorded 17,154 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours, bringing the national total of cases in the country to 3,129,622.

The total number of Covid-related deaths is 90,116 after 36 daily deaths were recorded on Saturday. 

The cumulative number of vaccines administered since the start of the rollout is 27,078,578 as of 17:00pm, with 2,880,472 recoveries.

December 11 2021 -  16:35

December 11 2021 -  15:00

Japan researchers make ostrich-cell mask to detect Covid

Japanese researchers have developed masks that use ostrich antibodies to detect Covid-19 by glowing under ultraviolet light.

December 11 2021 -  14:00

December 11 2021 -  13:30

US Weighs Travel With Southern Africa 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is developing analytical models to determine when reopening travel from eight southern African countries would no longer impact the spread of the omicron variant in the U.S., with an eye toward lifting controversial restrictions implemented last month, the White House said Friday.

“What we are doing currently, right now is looking at the evidence that would get us to pull back,” Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, told reporters in a virtual briefing. The CDC is studying “the risk of increased influx of individuals who are infected, balanced against the already existing infection in our own country.”

The U.S. hopes to have the models completed within the next few days to a week, he said. The travel bans have been decried by international medical officials who say they could discourage countries from reporting new variants, and other critics have said the rules unfairly target majority Black countries. But the White House has said the restrictions are temporary and intended to buy time for scientists to study the variant and implement new mitigation steps.

Bloomberg

December 11 2021 -  13:00

Vietnam to Begin Trial Run of International Flights 

Vietnam will resume some international flights starting Jan. 1 in a bid to support the nation’s aviation and tourism industries, according to a statement on the government’s website late Friday. 

The pilot program will start with nine destinations, including Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Singapore and San Francisco, according to the statement, without providing details on any required quarantines for people entering the country. 

Bloomberg

December 11 2021 -  12:45

Switzerland and Czech Republic to Jab Younger Children  

Switzerland approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for children between the ages of five and 11 years old. Swissmedic, the nation’s agency for therapeutic products, said “clinical trial results show that the vaccine is safe and effective in this age group.” The children’s dose will be one-third the strength of the vaccine given to adolescents and adults, Swissmedic said.

Separately, the Czech Republic said it will start vaccinating children between 5 and 11 years old next week. The country will open registry for kids from Sunday, and expects the first shots for children, from the total 300,000 it ordered, to arrive at the beginning of the week. The country had 12,836 new cases on Friday, 5,300 less than a week ago. 

Bloomberg

December 11 2021 -  12:30

German Intensive Care Units Still “Severely Strained”  

German ICUs remain “severely strained,” according to Gernot Marx, the head of the country’s association for intensive care medicine DIVI. “We are running at full capacity throughout Germany,” Marx told the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper.

Even if new cases drop significantly, it takes time for that kind of relief to reach the ICUs, he said. The association expects the number of patients in ICUs to reach 6,000 by Christmas, exceeding the peak during the second wave of the pandemic last winter.

Bloomberg

December 11 2021 - 12:00

Australia treasurer calls for easing Covid curbs despite rising cases

 Australia must loosen Covid-19 restrictions to bolster its economic recovery, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Saturday, even as daily infections rose to a six-week high.

"States need to keep calm and carry on. And not overreact to the Omicron variant," Frydenberg told reporters in Melbourne.

Australia is one of the world's most vaccinated countries, with nearly 90% of people over 16 fully inoculated. Still, Australia said it found 1,753 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, up about 3% in the last week and the highest daily total since October 29.

Frydenberg said state and territory leaders must loosen curbs implemented to slow the spread of the virus, emphasising the need to accelerate Australia's economic growth while he played down concerns about the Omicron variant.

"Our economic recovery depends upon it. We have the vaccination rates now at record highs and that has proven to be a vital defence against Covid."

While some measures have been eased as vaccines were rolled out, interstate travel is still prohibited between several states and capacity limits in shops and restaurants are strictly enforced.

Australia's A$2 trillion ($1.4 trillion) economy was badly damaged by lockdowns in the country's two largest states with gross domestic product falling 1.9% in the third quarter.

Economists and policy makers expect Australia's economy to rebound sharply in 2022 as it reopens its international borders, boosting tourism and the education sector.

Australia last month delayed allowing foreign visa holders to enter until at least mid-December. Frydenberg said on Saturday a decision on whether to reopen would be made in the next few days. 

Reuters

December 11 2021 - 11:24

Taiwan confirms first cases of Omicron variant

Taiwan confirmed on Saturday its first cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, found in three people who had arrived from abroad.

The island's Central Epidemic Command Centre said the infections were found in travellers arriving from Britain, the southern African nation of Eswatini and the United States.

Like all entrants, they were tested on arrival and already subject to two weeks of quarantine. 

Reuters

December 11 2021 - 10:40

China orders Covid-19 tests for travel with some border cities

China has ordered some border cities to beef up vigilance against Covid-19 with measures such as mandatory testing for travellers, in its effort to prevent clusters caused by viruses arriving from abroad.

Since mid-October, locally-transmitted symptomatic cases have risen to more than 2,000, with several small northern towns on the borders with Russia or Mongolia, among the hardest-hit, as health resources there are sparser than in major cities.

"There have been multiple local outbreaks in China recently, all caused by viruses imported from overseas via cities with ports of entry," the government said in a notice, citing local areas' weaknesses in monitoring and failure to enforce measures.

People who intend to leave from border cities with overland ports of entry must show proof of negative test results within 48 hours before departure, said the notice, which excluded those from cities with ports of entry linked to Hong Kong or Macau.

Arrivals in such cities must take at least one Covid-19 test, added the notice by national authorities in charge of Covid-19 control.

The testing measures will run until March 15 next year.

In November, authorities in Beijing urged people not to travel unnecessarily to the Chinese capital from counties with overland ports of entry.

Some cities with entry ports could have tight curbs in "buffer" areas, but less tough measures outside, Saturday's notice said.

The measures aim to reduce disruption to livelihoods in areas dependent on cross-border trade, the national health authority said in a statement published alongside the notice.

Reuters

December 11 2021 - 09:30

CDC director says Delta still driving surge in cases, deaths in US

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky on Friday said the seven-day average of Covid-19 cases in the United States was up 37% and average deaths per day climbed 28%.

December 11 2021 - 09:20

Soccer-Guardiola urges Christmas Covid-19 precautions at Man City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has asked his players to take all the necessary precautions during Christmas celebrations with their friends and families to avoid a Covid-19 outbreak at the Premier League club.

Fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur had a second match postponed this week after the league agreed to call off Sunday's game at Brighton & Hove Albion due to a number of Covid-19 cases.

Spurs also had their Europa Conference League game against Stade Rennais called off by UEFA after the club said they had 13 positive cases - eight players and five members of staff.

Leicester City were without several players for their Europa League game at Napoli on Thursday due to Covid-19, and Guardiola said he hoped to avoid a similar situation at his side, calling on his players to be vigilant."

They know they have to be careful, be at home as much as possible. When they go out, social distance and wear a mask. Look at the statistics, the rules from the government. It's still there... and there are setbacks," Guardiola said.

The Spanish manager, whose mother died due to Covid-19 last year, said leaders City cancelled plans for a Christmas party.

"You have to protect yourself, because at Christmas time there's a tendency for more parties, going out more often," added Guardiola, whose side take on Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

"Everyone at home organises a party with family and kids. They're going to do it. We're not going to say don't do it, but be careful. The risk is high."

Look at what happened at Tottenham and Leicester. It can happen here as well, if we don't pay attention. That's a big problem for them, for their health and family, but of course, the team."

Reuters

December 11 2021 - 09:00

Moderna asks investors to wait for full data on flu vaccine amid selloff

Moderna executives called on investors to wait for more data amid a sharp selloff in its shares on Friday, after early data showed its mRNA-based flu vaccine was no better than already approved shots in the market.