Category: COVID-19 Corona Virus

South Africa has recorded 1 103 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, which represents a 7% positivity rate.

Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said on Monday that the country now has 1 492 909 cumulative cases since the outbreak.

According to the Minister, 195 more people succumbed to the respiratory disease, pushing the death toll to 48 094.

Of the latest deaths, 62 are from the Western Cape, 58 are from Gauteng, 30 from the North West, 25 from the Eastern Cape and 11 from Free State. Meanwhile, six are from the Northern Cape and three from KwaZulu-Natal.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the healthcare workers who treated the deceased patients,” Mkhize added.

The Minister also reported that there are now 1 391 155 who beat COVID-19, representing a recovery rate of 93%.

The information is based on the 8 712 844 tests, of which 15 778 were recorded since the last report.

Globally, there are 108 579 352 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2 396 408 deaths, reported to the World Health Organisation.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa’s collective efforts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic must now shift from relief measures to deliberate action to aid economic recovery.

This, the President said in his weekly newsletter on Monday, will require cooperation and contribution from every citizen. President Ramaphosa said the country was able to provide a lifeline to its citizens due to the already-existing social security safety net in the form of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF). The two bodies were respectively able to provide relief to vulnerable citizens and those whose livelihoods were compromised by the pandemic and resultant lockdown.

“We need to make sure that these relief measures provide a firm foundation for a broader recovery without driving the country deeper into debt. Unless we can bring our national debt down to sustainable levels, no meaningful economic recovery will be possible.

“Many workers lost part of their income as their work hours were reduced with many being retrenched. Several businesses have incurred heavy losses from scaled-back operations. Others have had to close. People working in the informal sector have also suffered

“This is why the extensive relief measures we put in place were both necessary and urgent. Now that nearly a year has passed, we can say that these measures have proved effective.

“We would not have been able to roll out these measures in such a short space of time if we had not had an extensive social security infrastructure already in place.

“We were able to respond to this huge and immediate need in our society thanks to the substantial nationwide infrastructure and systems of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF),” President Ramaphosa said.

The President said the support provided by the UIF was a lifeline to struggling businesses and employees. “It made the difference between companies remaining open and being forced to close, between jobs saved and jobs lost. Employees in dire straits were able to receive a portion of their salaries.”

While these relief measures were designed to be temporary, the economy, the President said, will continue to feel the effects of the pandemic for some time to come.

“Even as lockdown restrictions have been eased, many companies are struggling to cope with the fallout of months of diminished operations and lost revenue.

“It is for this reason that following extensive discussion with social partners at NEDLAC, the COVID TERS [temporary employer-employee relief scheme] benefit has been extended until 15 March 2021 for sectors that have not been able to fully operate.

“Our focus now must be on creating an enabling environment for businesses to recover, and for economic growth that spurs job creation and attracts investment.”

President Ramaphosa said companies will need to be innovative in driving methods and processes that secure their sustainability and profitability, with job retention being their foremost consideration.

South Africa continues to see fewer COVID-19 cases, with deaths showing signs of slowing down, with only 78 reported in the last 24 hours.

This brings the death toll to 47 899, Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said on Sunday.

Of the latest fatalities, 37 are from Gauteng, 15 from Western Cape, 10 from Free State, nine from Mpumalanga, five from KwaZulu-Natal and two from the Eastern Cape.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the healthcare workers who treated the deceased patients,” Mkhize said.

Meanwhile, South Africa recorded 1 744 new COVID-19 cases, which represents a 7% positivity rate, pushing the total number of known infections to 1 491 807.

South Africa is now home to 55 587 active cases, with KwaZulu-Natal having 18 802 patients who are currently infected, followed by the Western Cape with 8 624.

“Our recoveries now stand at 1 388 321, representing a recovery rate of 93%.”

The information is based on the 8 697 066 tests, of which 24 470 were recorded since the last report.

Globally, there have been 108 153 741 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2 381 295 deaths, said the World Health Organisation.

South Africa recorded 2 488 new COVID-19 cases, official data showed on Thursday, down from the 3 163 infections a day earlier.

The Health Department said the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in South Africa is now 1 484 900 as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address last night.

Meanwhile, there are 237 more COVID-19 fatalities, bringing the overall deaths to 47 382 since the outbreak.

Of the latest deaths, 82 are from Gauteng, 46 from the Eastern Cape, 36 from KwaZulu-Natal, 25 from Free State, 19 from Mpumalanga, 17 from the Western Cape and 12 from Limpopo.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the healthcare workers who treated the deceased patients,” said Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

In addition, the country has 59 538 active cases, with KwaZulu-Natal being home to the most people who are currently infected.

According to Mkhize, the province has 20 542 active cases, followed by Western Cape with 9 250, while Free State has 7 673, 6 990 in Gauteng and 5 217 in the North West.

“Our recoveries now stand at 1 377 980, representing a recovery rate of 92.8%,” the Minister added.

A total of 32 265 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 8 605 729.

Globally, there are 106 991 090 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2 347 015 deaths, reported to the World Health Organisation.

During a hybrid joint sitting of the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces on Thursday, President Ramaphosa said beyond the statistics lies a human story of tragedy and pain.

“There is no family, no community, and no place of work that has not lost someone they knew, worked with, and loved.”

He also applauded the resilience of the hospital workers whose mission is to save lives, knowing that they themselves are at risk of infection.

“It is a wonderful account of the courage of the police officer, the soldier, the essential worker, the carer and all those on the frontline who have kept our country safe, our people fed and our economy going.”

He has called South Africa to continue with the spirit of resilience, which should drive everyone to build a new and equal economy and a better, more just society.

“The year ahead must be a time for change, for progress and for rebirth. It must be a year in which we rise.”

He also confirmed that the first batch of the in-demand Johnson & Johnson vaccines against COVID-19 will land in South Africa next week.

The President told Parliament that the first phase of the vaccination programme would go as planned and that healthcare workers would now get the Johnson & Johnson jab.

Government has secured nine million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, of which 80 000 doses will arrive in the country next week.

According to the President, about 500 000 vials of vaccines will follow in the next four weeks, while 12 million vaccine doses from the global COVAX facility and 20 million from Pfizer, will be delivered at the end of the first quarter.

Government will go ahead with its planned phase one of vaccination targeting healthcare workers – using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine instead of an AstraZeneca jab.

Updating the country on the latest developments, Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been proven effective against 501Y.V2, while necessary approval processes for use locally are underway.

South Africa paused its rollout plan following the results that showed that the University of Oxford’s AstraZeneca vaccine was less effective against the COVID-19 infection from the 501Y.V2 Coronavirus variant, first identified in South Africa in November 2020.

Meanwhile, the Minister announced that the country has secured shots from Pfizer for phase one rollout, which will land on home soil earlier than was expected.

Mkhize said government is awaiting for the complete schedule of the distribution of the vaccines and hopes the negotiations will be wrapped up next week.

Also, local scientists are working around the clock to engage with other vaccines manufacturers.

“Engagements with Sinopharm are continuing with already an offer made by China of some vaccines which have been considered and a non-disclosure agreement has been signed and ratification processes in SAHPRA (South African Health Products Regulatory Authority) is in progress.”

Likewise, engagements with the United States’ drugmaker Moderna, which has entered a supply agreement for COVID-19 vaccine with Taiwan and Colombia, are ongoing.

On the other hand, scientists are continuing with deliberations on the AstraZeneca use in the country.

“Depending on the advice, the vaccine will be swopped before the expiry date to ensure they don’t become wasteful and fruitless expenditure.”

Mkhize said government does not intend to claim back the money, but was planning to utilise the AstraZeneca vaccine based on  expert advice, including from the World Health Organisation COVAX and United Kingdom’s Health Secretary.

“This is because in the rest of the world, this is a highly used vaccine, so there are already countries who are asking to sell it to them.”

He said other countries are lining up as they want to get hold of the AstraZeneca that is already in the country and government is considering selling it to them.

In addition, he urged citizens to prevent the spread of COVID-19 until the country reaches herd immunity by washing hands with soap or sanitising, wearing masks and social distancing.

Expiry date

Mkhize also addressed the issue of the expiry date of the vaccine batches, which is April 2021.

“The vaccines have not expired,” he stressed.

However, in keeping with the original vaccination plan, Mkhize said the department would have proceeded with the AstraZeneca rollout plan and the doses would have been used by the expiry date.

“The expiry date would have not been a factor at all because we would have started the vaccinations and we were targeting to have finished them long before that date.”

He also said the expiry date was not discovered by accident but through their quality assurance and control protocols.

“Sometimes when a matter is raised in the media and comes out as a leak, people don’t say it’s our information that they used which we already knew about. It’s not so much they discovered something they didn’t know about. Checking the expiring date is one of the basic things you do when you manage a medical product.”

Developing a local vaccine

Mkhize believes that South Africa has the capacity to create its own in-demand vaccines.

According to Mkhize, President Cyril Ramaphosa has since directed a team to start looking into this matter.

“In principle, it’s a good idea to build that capacity in South Africa.”

Mkhize said vaccination will be free for those who are not on medical aid.

South Africa’s daily COVID-19 infections continue to drop amid the new variant concerns.

According to the latest statistics, the country recorded 1 744 new infections on Tuesday, which represents a 6% positivity rate.

A further 396 people lost their lives to the respiratory disease, bringing total fatalities to 46 869  to date.

Of the latest fatalities, 118 are from Limpopo, 85 from KwaZulu-Natal, 81 from Gauteng, 65 from the Western Cape, 20 from the Eastern Cape and 18 from Mpumalanga.

The Free State recorded six deaths, while three were recorded in the Northern Cape.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the health care workers who treated the deceased patients,” said Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

The number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 is now 1 367 247, representing a recovery rate of 92%.

The information is based on the 8 538 269 tests conducted, 26 859 of which were conducted in the last 24 hours.

Global view

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are now 106 125 682 global confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2 320 497 deaths.

WHO’s weekly epidemiological update states that the number of global new cases reported fell for the fourth week in a row, with 3.1 million new cases last week, a 17% decline compared to the previous week.

“This is the lowest figure since the week of 26 October 2020 (15 weeks ago). Although there are still many countries with increasing numbers of cases, at the global level, this is encouraging,” said WHO.

The number of additional deaths reported also fell for a second week in a row, with 88 000 new fatalities reported last week, a 10% decline compared to the previous week.

WHO has reported a dip in new cases in all regions, with five out of six regions reporting more than 10% decreases.

“Europe and the region of the Americas saw the greatest drops in absolute numbers, with together nearly 500 000 fewer new cases reported last week, 153 000 and 320 000 fewer new cases reported, respectively.”

Meanwhile, new deaths also declined in all regions except the Western Pacific, where mortality rates remained similar to the previous week.

In the past week, the five countries reporting the highest number of new cases continue to be the United States (871 365 cases, a 19% decrease), Brazil (328 652 cases, a 10% decrease), France (136 154 cases, a 4% decrease), the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (133 747 cases, a 25% decrease), and Russia (116 842 cases, an 11% decrease).

North West Health MEC, Madoda Sambatha, has ordered the closure of the Wolmaranstad Post Office and Home Affairs offices after they failed to comply with COVID-19 regulations.

The two institutions are reportedly not meeting the requirements of social distancing, wearing of masks in public and sanitising.

The closure of the Wolmaranstad Post Office and Home Affairs office follows the closure of a supermarket in Zeerust and one store in Tlokwe by the MEC last month.

Sambatha continues to criss-cross the province, raising awareness on COVID-19, encouraging public compliance to prevention measures, and checking businesses for compliance with the regulations.

“We will continue to enforce compliance with COVID-19 regulations to prevent the further spread of the virus. We will not hesitate to order closure of any business or facility where there is complete disregard of COVID-19 prevention measures,” Sambatha said on Tuesday.

Sambatha has committed to continue with the compliance and awareness campaign drive.

“Though we are about to roll out the vaccine, it does not mean other prevention measures like social distancing, wearing of masks and sanitising are to be abandoned. They remain key to prevent the spread of the virus. Vaccination should be considered one method of prevention.

“The wearing of masks in public is still mandatory, and so are social distancing and sanitising. All residents are requested to comply with the regulations,” the MEC said.

He reminded citizens that their personal care and health are their responsibility.

“There is a need for all members of the community to continue to comply with the regulations to minimise the impact and spread of this contagious disease.”

The COVID-19 second wave is showing signs of slowing down in South Africa, with 3 754 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours.

A reported 261 people succumbed to the respiratory disease, official data showed on Thursday.

Of the recent deaths, 56 were reported in KwaZulu-Natal, 53 in Gauteng, 44 in the Eastern Cape, 42 in the North West, 41 in the Western Cape, 12 in the Free State, 11 in Limpopo and two in the Northern Cape.

The total number of COVID-19 cases reported in the country now stands at 1 466 767, while the death toll has jumped to 45 605.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the healthcare workers who treated the deceased patients,” said Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

The worst-hit regions continue to be KwaZulu-Natal with 42 016 active cases, followed by the Western Cape with 12 631.

Meanwhile, Gauteng has 9 115 patients who are currently infected, 8 771 in the Free State and 7 943 in the North West.

In addition, 1 327 186 people have recovered from COVID-19 to date, representing a recovery rate of 90.5%.

The data is based on the 8 400 319 tests conducted, 31 032 of which were done since the last report.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported 103 989 900 cases globally, including 2 260 259 deaths.

Vaccination

According to WHO, COVAX expects to start sending millions of COVID-19 vaccines to Africa this month.

The global initiative – led by the WHO, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance and The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) – aims to start shipping nearly 90 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the continent in February, in what will be Africa’s largest mass vaccination campaign.

“Africa has watched other regions start COVID-19 vaccination campaigns from the sidelines for too long. This planned rollout is a critical first step to ensuring the continent gets equitable access to vaccines.

“We know no one will be safe until everyone is safe,” said WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti.

COVAX notified countries through letters, which were sent on 30 January 2021.

According to WHO, the final shipments will be based on the production capacities of vaccine manufacturers and the readiness of countries amid surging demand for vaccines.

In addition, around 320 000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been allocated to four African countries – Cabo Verde, Rwanda, South Africa and Tunisia.

This vaccine has received WHO Emergency Use Listing but requires countries to be able to store and distribute doses at minus 70 degrees Celsius.

Moeti has urged African nations to ramp up readiness and finalise their national vaccine deployment plans.

“Regulatory processes, cold chain systems and distribution plans need to be in place to ensure vaccines are safely expedited from ports of entry to delivery. We can’t afford to waste a single dose,” said Moeti.

The initial phase of 90 million doses will support countries to immunise 3% of the African population most in need of protection, including health workers and other vulnerable groups in the first half of 2021.

“As production capacity increases and more vaccines become available, the aim is to vaccinate at least 20% of Africans by providing up to 600 million doses by the end of 2021,” said Moeti.

The African Union has secured 670 million vaccine doses for the continent, which will be distributed in 2021 and 2022 as countries secure adequate financing.

WHO said the African Export-Import Bank will facilitate payments by providing advance procurement commitment guarantees of up to US$2 billion to the manufacturers on behalf of countries.

Deputy President David Mabuza, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on COVID-19 Vaccines, has engaged various sectors of society on government’s vaccination rollout  plan.

The Deputy President held meetings on Thursday with the aim of mobilising support from social partners.

During the consultations with traditional leaders, inter-faith leaders and social partners at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac), the Deputy President was joined by Ministers, who are members of the vaccines IMC.

In welcoming the consultation, traditional leaders said they were encouraged by government’s initiative to meet with them early on in the process.

“With these engagements, they expressed hope that all of society will get behind government’s vaccines rollout plan. They all committed to be part of the rollout and work in partnership with government in encouraging their communities and constituencies to take part in the vaccination programme,” the Presidency said on Thursday.

Traditional leaders called for the implementation of stringent measures to prevent any possible acts of corruption in the rollout of the vaccines.

“It was also agreed that through Government Communication and Information Systems, a communication toolkit in all official languages will be developed for communities in order to enhance social mobilisation and garner support for vaccination.

“Equally so, the consultations with inter-faith leaders were positive and they were all united in their commitment to partner with government, including availing their facilities as vaccination sites should such a need arise,” the Presidency said.

They further called on government to involve young people in the religious sector to counter negative sentiments and fake news about vaccines.

Social partners in Nedlac, namely organised business, labour and community constituencies, reaffirmed their commitment to continue working with government in the fight against COVID-19 and to build on existing initiatives of fighting the virus, including the rollout of vaccines.

“Organised business also reaffirmed their support of the government-led and centralised vaccine procurement, and their participation in both resource and social mobilisation programme. In this regard, they expressed their full confidence in government’s ability to secure the adequate amount of doses required to achieve population immunity,” the Presidency said.

Organised labour encouraged government to draw on the lessons learnt in the rollout of anti-retroviral drugs and use this opportunity to build the capacity to manufacture vaccines locally.

The Community Constituency committed to partner with government to mobilise civil society to participate in the vaccination programme and stem the tide of fake news within society.

“We are encouraged by the positive spirit of cooperation that we received from traditional leaders, inter-faith leaders and social partners at Nedlac. We appreciate that this process does not end here, but it is ongoing engagement and partnership, as we work together towards population immunity.

“We are grateful for the commitment to partner as expressed by social partners at Nedlac, traditional leaders and inter-faith leaders,” the Deputy President said.

The IMC on vaccines was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to provide political oversight of the vaccination programme, including its acquisition, distribution and rollout.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has commended the Indian government and its people for the gift to the world in the form of vaccines and scientific knowledge.

The President applauded India during a telephonic conversation with the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, on Thursday.

The telephone call follows the arrival in South Africa of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from the Serum Institute of India on Monday.

In a statement on Thursday, the Presidency said President Ramaphosa conveyed the profound gratitude expressed by the people of South Africa to India for its solidarity with South Africa in fighting the pandemic.

The leaders also shared their concern that the COVID-19 virus is mutating constantly, presenting more challenges and new waves in all countries.

“Prime Minister Modi indicated that India will be developing one or two more vaccines and that India will continue to support countries in Africa with a special package of vaccines. India will also support the COVAX facility – a joint initiative of The Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organisation – with 13 million doses by the end of February 2021.

“The two leaders noted that there is growing support internationally for the proposal submitted by South Africa and India to the World Trade Organisation’s Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council for a temporary waiver of certain TRIPS obligations. The waiver will make vaccines more affordable and enable local production,” the Presidency said.

Strong bilateral relations

President Ramaphosa and Prime Minister Modi further reflected on the strong bilateral relations between South Africa and India, highlighting the importance of the strategic partnership that exists between the two countries.

The leaders acknowledged the importance of economic cooperation to address the devastating impact the pandemic has had on the global economy.

Prime Minister Modi commended the able leadership demonstrated in South Africa’s containment of the pandemic in the face of a continually mutating and highly transmissible virus.

“South Africa congratulates India on assuming a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. South Africa will work with India to address peace and security issues as part of building a better world,” the Presidency said.