COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES | New tracing, testing and quarantine on cards — but confusion irks scientists

30 January 2022 - 06:20 By TimesLIVE
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Officers in protective suits walk outside a closed pet shop in Mong Kok district after a hamster cull was ordered to curb the Covid-19 outbreak in Hong Kong, China.
Officers in protective suits walk outside a closed pet shop in Mong Kok district after a hamster cull was ordered to curb the Covid-19 outbreak in Hong Kong, China.
Image: REUTERS/Lam Yik/File Photo

January 30 2022 - 20:14

Italy reports 104,065 coronavirus cases on Sunday, 235 deaths

Italy reported 104,065 Covid-19 related cases on Sunday, against 137,147 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths fell to 235 from 377.

Italy has registered 146,149 deaths linked to Covid-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth highest in the world.

The country has reported 10.9 million cases to date.Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 19,617 on Sunday, down from 19,636 a day earlier.

There were 95 new admissions to intensive care units, down from 118 on Saturday. The total number of intensive care patients rose to 1,593 from a previous 1,588.

- Reuters

January 30 2022 - 18:39

Britain reports 62,399 Covid-19 cases, 85 deaths

Britain reported a further 62,399 cases of Covid-19 on Sunday and 85 more deaths within 28 days of a positive test, government statistics showed.

That compared with 72,727 cases and 296 deaths reported on Saturday. 

- Reuters

January 30 2022 - 17:13

Scientists on alert over rising cases caused by Omicron cousin BA.2

The highly transmissible Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus - the most common form of which is known as BA.1 - now accounts for nearly all of the coronavirus infections globally, although dramatic surges in Covid-19 cases have already peaked in some countries.

Scientists are now tracking a rise in cases caused by a close cousin known as BA.2, which is starting to outcompete BA.1 in parts of Europe and Asia.

-Reuters

January 30 2022 - 15:49

Hong Kong govt says commenting on its Covid-19 strategy is not "illegal"

Having discussions and making "general remarks" about Hong Kong's coronavirus strategy is not illegal and does not violate the Chinese territory's national security law, the government said on Sunday, as it grapples to control a rise in cases.

Hong Kong has followed China in sticking to a zero-COVID policy with the economic and psychological tolls rapidly rising, and measures becoming more draconian than those first implemented in 2020.

Experts have said that the current policy is not sustainable as cases continue to increase due to the highly transmissable Omicron strain.

Hong Kong's policy to achieve "Dynamic zero infection" was the most effective way to fight the outbreak and protect public health, the government said in a statement. The statement came after local legislator Junius Ho said that experts who suggested Hong Kong should live with the virus the way Western experts do may have violated its national security law, public broadcaster RTHK reported.

More than 1 million of Hong Kong's 7.5 million residents are not vaccinated, exposing them to high chance of infection or even a risk of death, the government said.

-Reuters

January 30 2022 - 14:39

Algeria reports first case of covid's BA.2 Omicron sub variant

Algeria reported its first case of COVID-19's fast spreading BA.2 Omicron sub variant, Ennahar TV cited the general Director of Pasteur institute as saying on Sunday.

The North African country registered 1,742 new cases and 10 deaths, bringing the total number to 249,310 cases and 6,555 deaths, according to official figures.

-Reuters

January 30 2022 - 10:09

Olympics: China reports 34 new Covid-19 cases among Games-related personnel

Thirty-four new Covid-19 infections were detected among Olympics-related personnel, the Beijing 2022 Winter Games organising committee said on Sunday, including Poland's short track medal hopeful Natalia Maliszewska.

Of those, 13 were athletes or team officials who tested positive after arriving at the airport on Saturday.

Of the total infections, 23 were among new airport arrivals, while 11 were people already in the "closed loop" bubble that separates event personnel from the public in an effort to curb the spread of infections.

-Reuters

January 30 2022 - 08:46

New Zealand PM Ardern isolating, journalist case highlights tough COVID curbs

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stayed in self-isolation on Sunday, as the country recorded 103 new Covid-19 infections and its tough border controls were highlighted by a pregnant journalist who said she was trapped in Afghanistan.

Ardern, in self-isolation until Tuesday, took a coronavirus test on Sunday after being exposed to an infected person.

Results were expected later on Sunday or on Monday, her office said. Journalist Charlotte Bellis said in an article in the New Zealand Herald that she could not return from Afghanistan, where she had been reporting, after Ardern's government rejected her application for an exemption to gain entry.

-Reuters

January 30 2022 - 06:34

Australia anxious as schools back in full swing amidst Omicron wave

Thousands of Australian students return to school on Monday after a summer break, as the country remains anxious about the spread of Covid-19, which on Sunday killed at least 88 people in the country.

Although some schools reopened last week, most will do so on Monday, many requiring students to be tested twice a week.

Fuelled by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, infections have exploded in Australia since December, the beginning of summer in southern hemisphere.

-Reuters

January 30 2022 - 06:13

Covid-19 screening scuppered by cellphone mess

More than 9,000 cellphones meant to assist health workers with household Covid screening gathered dust at the health department in Limpopo for almost a year, and were only distributed after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) intervened.

The cellphones, procured from MTN for R10m, were meant to be used by Covid field workers but only a fraction were distributed due to delays in installing a special app.

Out of the 10,000 cellphones procured — half of which MTN donated for free — the department had initially only distributed 399 to health-care workers.

January 30 2022 - 06:10

New tracing, testing and quarantine on cards — but confusion irks scientists

Friday marked a month since the government did an about-turn on contact tracing and quarantine guidelines — after relaxing them a few days earlier.

It said an “amended circular” would follow but it has not appeared, leaving scientists bewildered and angry about the muddle.

Professor Francois Venter, who runs Ezintsha at Wits University, said the government had scored “an astonishing own-goal”, adding: “Everyone is confused and implementing this in a different way.”

subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.