January 25 2022 - 06:00
New York judge strikes down state mask mandate
A New York judge struck down the state's mask mandate on Monday, ruling that it was unconstitutional and a violation of state law, according to the court decision.
Judge Thomas Rademaker, of New York State Supreme Court on Long Island, wrote in his decision, which apparently takes effect immediately, that the state legislature last year curbed any governor's ability to issue decrees, such as a mask mandate, amid a declared state of emergency.
The legislature's action "prevents the type of mandates and directives that former Governor Cuomo included in his various COVID-19 related Executive Orders," the judge wrote. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement, "We strongly disagree with this ruling, and we are pursuing every option to reverse this immediately."
"My responsibility as Governor is to protect New Yorkers throughout this public health crisis, and these measures help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and save lives," Hochul said.
Rademaker wrote in his decision that he had no doubt there was good intention behind the mask mandate and said his ruling is not intended "in any way to question or otherwise opine on the efficacy, need, or requirement of masks as a means or tool in dealing with the COVID-19 virus."
-Reuters
COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 3,200 new Covid-19 cases, 132 deaths in 24 hours: NICD
January 25 2022 - 20:46
SA records 3,200 new Covid-19 cases, 132 deaths in 24 hours: NICD
SA recorded just fewer than 3,200 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Tuesday.
The NICD said there were 3,197 infections confirmed in the past day, taking the total number of confirmed cases to date to 3,585,888 since the outbreak of the coronavirus in SA in March 2020.
According to the NICD, based on health department data, there were 132 Covid-19 related deaths recorded in the past day. But due to an “ongoing audit exercise”, it was confirmed that 23 of the deaths took place in the past 24 to 48 hours.
January 25 2022 - 18:09
Tax revenue collections declined by 7.8% last year as Covid-19 hit hard
Tax revenue collections in the 2020/21 fiscal year were severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown restrictions.
This is according to a statement by the National Treasury and the SA Revenue Service (Sars), which published the 14th annual edition of the Tax Statistics on Tuesday. The statistics focus on tax return revenue collections from the 2016/17 to 2020/21 fiscal years.
According to the report, total tax revenue collections for 2020/21 declined by 7.8% to just less than R1.25-trillion from about R1.35-trillion collected in the previous year.
January 25 2022 - 12:00
R54m masks purchase lands Cape education officials in hot water
Three senior Western Cape education officials are under investigation over a R54m contract to supply cloth face masks.
In its report to President Cyril Ramaphosa on government spending during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) said the procurement of masks was irregular.
It said evidence suggests three senior officials in the provincial education department may be guilty of misconduct.
January 25 2022 - 11:01
Cape Town’s Covid-19 camp for homeless ‘incurred R42m irregular spending’
More than R42m spent to rent marquees for a controversial camp for homeless people in Cape Town has been declared irregular expenditure by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
Shortly after the Covid-19 lockdown was announced in March 2020, the City of Cape Town decided to relocate 1,600 people to eight marquees at Strandfontein sports field.
It opened on March 31 and closed less than two months later after widespread condemnation by human rights organisations about conditions there.
January 25 2022 - 06:00
New York judge strikes down state mask mandate
A New York judge struck down the state's mask mandate on Monday, ruling that it was unconstitutional and a violation of state law, according to the court decision.
Judge Thomas Rademaker, of New York State Supreme Court on Long Island, wrote in his decision, which apparently takes effect immediately, that the state legislature last year curbed any governor's ability to issue decrees, such as a mask mandate, amid a declared state of emergency.
The legislature's action "prevents the type of mandates and directives that former Governor Cuomo included in his various COVID-19 related Executive Orders," the judge wrote. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement, "We strongly disagree with this ruling, and we are pursuing every option to reverse this immediately."
"My responsibility as Governor is to protect New Yorkers throughout this public health crisis, and these measures help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and save lives," Hochul said.
Rademaker wrote in his decision that he had no doubt there was good intention behind the mask mandate and said his ruling is not intended "in any way to question or otherwise opine on the efficacy, need, or requirement of masks as a means or tool in dealing with the COVID-19 virus."
-Reuters