COVID-19 WRAP | No Covid-19 deaths recorded in SA in the past day: NICD

February 28 2022 - 19:29

No Covid-19 deaths recorded in SA in the past day: NICD

No Covid-19 related deaths took place in SA in the past 24 hours, latest data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases showed on Monday.

There were 183 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, the NICD said, but these were as a result of an ongoing national health department audit.

In total, there have been 99,412 deaths from the coronavirus recorded across SA since the outbreak of the virus in March 2020.

February 28 2022 - 13:30

S.Korea rolls back Covid-19 vaccine pass as infections burden testing centres

South Korea will temporarily lift a requirement for vaccine passes or negative Covid-19 tests at a number of businesses to ease the strain on testing centres, authorities said on Monday, as the country faces a wave of Omicron infections.

The move will allow public testing and health facilities to devote more resources to battling the wave of new cases, Interior Minister Jeon Hae-cheol told a Covid-19 response meeting.

Officials also said they would shelve plans to require vaccine passes for children aged 12-18, citing controversy and court cases over the measures, Yonhap news agency reported.

In recent weeks South Korea has reported average daily per-capita infection rates that have exceeded some of the peaks in hard-hit countries such as the United States and Britain.

Death rates in highly vaccinated South Korea have remained at a fraction of the rate seen in those countries.

More than 86% of the country's 52 million people are fully vaccinated, with more than 61% having received booster shots.

South Korea reported 139,626 new coronavirus cases as of midnight Sunday, as cases dropped from a record high of 171,442 on Wednesday. Serious cases have risen, however, and daily deaths hit a record 114.

Overall South Korea has reported 8,058 deaths since the pandemic began, and more than 3.1 million cases.

Health officials predict that the current wave will peak at around 250,000 daily cases by mid-March.

Reuters

February 28 2022 - 13:00

Hong Kong domestic helpers abandoned as Covid takes a toll

A rapid spread in Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong has put the plight of domestic helpers in the global financial hub in the spotlight after some were fired or made homeless by their employers when they tested positive for coronavirus.

Hong Kong has around 340,000 domestic helpers, most hailing from either the Philippines or Indonesia. Many families in the city depend on live-in helpers for housekeeping and to look after the elderly and children, with the minimum wage set at HK$4,630 ($593) per month.

Under Hong Kong law, migrant domestic workers must live with their employers, often residing in tiny rooms or sharing the bedrooms of the children they care for.

Reports from helper support groups and local media of these workers being kicked out or fired have triggered appeals from Philippine authorities for the Chinese-ruled city to protect and support the domestic workers.

The Hong Kong Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions told Reuters last week it had received more than 20 cases of domestic helpers who had tested positive for Covid being fired.

Hong Kong's Labour Department has warned employers it is an offence to sack those infected. People who break the law could face a fine of up to HK$100,000.

The department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Two domestic helpers who said they were abandoned by their employers and left on the streets after testing positive for Covid told Reuters they felt helpless and traumatised by the experience."

I was depressed, hopeless, and felt anxiety because I am in a foreign country," said one of the helpers, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue. She said her employers gave her medicine, but told her to leave their home and find a shelter to stay at, so she did not infect the family.

"All I was thinking about was where to get food and where to find a place to stay because it was very cold outside," said the woman, who has been working in Hong Kong as a domestic helper since 2005.

The other helper, who has been in Hong Kong for four years, said she felt discriminated against, and would now rather return to the Philippines than stay in Hong Kong.

Both the helpers found shelter with HELP for Domestic Workers, a non-governmental organisation which provides shelter and basic supplies to those in need."

At the moment, the supply is not keeping up with the demand. And given that there are so many mandatory testing notices, so many people that are testing positive, we are unable to find isolation facilities for everybody," said Manisha Wijesinghe, executive director of HELP for Domestic Workers.

As the government grapples to contain the Covid outbreak, authorities have banned flights from nine countries, including the Philippines, and tightened entry restrictions, leading to a shortage of domestic helpers.

Many domestic helpers work long hours and are only allowed one day off a week, when they usually get together in parks and open spaces throughout the city.

Hong Kong's public hospitals have been severely stretched, struggling to cope with an influx of Covid patients including the elderly, many of whom have resisted vaccinations.

Since the start of the epidemic, Hong Kong has recorded more than 171,000 coronavirus infections and over 650 deaths, much lower than most major cities.

Healthcare and isolation facilities are overwhelmed, with the government scrambling to build new units to deal with a surge in cases.

"I was sitting in a taxi area while waiting for information on where I could go. I told myself I have to stay strong, I am alone and I don't have help. But at that time, I was already in tears," said one of the two domestic helpers, relating her experience. 

Reuters

February 28 2022 - 12:20

Road to economic recovery ‘steep and extremely challenging’: Ramaphosa

SA’s path to economic recovery after the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic is “steep and will be extremely challenging”, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday. 

However, with the 2021/22 budget presented by finance minister Enoch Godongwana and co-operation from all stakeholders, the country will succeed, he wrote in his Monday weekly newsletter.  

“As the pandemic has battered the economy, so it has further worsened the country’s financial position. At the height of the pandemic, less revenue was collected and more money had to be spent on strengthening our health response and providing social support. As a result, the country had to borrow more and do so at a greater cost,” he said.  

February 28 2022 - 10:00

New York will end statewide school mask mandate on March 2 — governor

New York state will end its mask mandate for schools and childcare facilities on Wednesday, Governor Kathy Hochul said, citing a steep drop in Covid-19 cases.

“It wasn't always easy, but students, educators and parents stepped up to fight this pandemic,” Hochul tweeted on Sunday. “We've reached this exciting milestone because of your hard work.”

The new rules come after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday eased guidelines for indoor masking across most of the country.

February 28 2022 - 07:18

Gauteng leads new Covid infections, SA records 2,979 patients in hospital

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has recorded 1,266 new Covid-19 cases, 42% of which are in Gauteng. 

The Western Cape accounted for 18% of infections, KwaZulu-Natal for 16%, Mpumalanga 8% and North West 7%. Free State accounted for 5%, the Eastern Cape 3%, Limpopo 2% and Northern Cape 1%. 

Eleven people were hospitalised in the 24-hour period under review. A total of 2,979 people are receiving treatment in public and private hospitals.

February 28 2022 - 07:00

What should I do if I got my first dose of vaccine overseas but it was different to those available in SA?

Government advises those who receive at least one shot of Covid-19 vaccine in a foreign country to get a second Pfizer shot six weeks after the last vaccination dose to complete the two dose regimen.

“Several vaccines used globally are not yet used in SA, such as AstraZeneca, Moderna, Sputnik and Sinovac. We are unable to provide second doses of these vaccines. SA cannot issue a vaccination certification for doses not administered here.

“Instead, we can offer one dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six weeks after the last vaccination dose to complete the two dose as there is evidence the Pfizer vaccine combines well with the other types, particularly Moderna and AstraZeneca,” it said.

If you have received one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you are regarded as fully vaccinated.

February 28 2022 - 06:30

UAE drops face masks outdoors, quarantine for Covid contact cases

The United Arab Emirates, the Middle East tourism and commercial hub, over the weekend ended a requirement to wear face masks outdoors and obligatory quarantine for Covid-19 contact cases.

Fully-vaccinated passengers arriving in the country will no longer require PCR tests, said the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority in updated guidance that went into effect on Saturday.

"For economic and tourist sectors, physical distancing has been cancelled while mask-wearing in closed places is still mandatory," it said.

The capital Abu Dhabi also dropped a border entry requirement for a negative PCR test for those coming from other UAE emirates.

Daily coronavirus cases in the country have fallen to some 600 from close to 3,000 in January.

Reuters

February 28 2022 - 06:15

Italy reports 30,629 coronavirus cases on Sunday, 144 deaths

Italy reported 30,629 Covid-19 related cases on Sunday, compared with 38,375 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths fell to 144 from 210.Italy has registered 154,560 deaths linked to Covid-19 since its outbreak emerged in February 2020, the second-highest toll in Europe after Britain and the eighth highest in the world. The country has reported 12.8 million cases to date

Reuters

February 28 2022 - 06:00

Mexico reports 3,519 new Covid-19 cases, 72 more deaths

Mexico's health ministry on Sunday reported 3,519 new, confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country and 72 more deaths, bringing the overall number of infections since the pandemic began to 5,506,105 and the death toll to 318,086.