Category: COVID-19 Corona Virus

The COVID-19 death toll has now reached 21 644 after 109 more people succumbed to the respiratory disease on Tuesday.

Of the latest fatalities, 36 were recorded in the Eastern Cape, 27 in the Western Cape, 17 in the North West, 12 each in the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, and five in Gauteng.

“We extend 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.

Meanwhile, the cumulative total of COVID-19 cases has risen to 792 299 after 2 295 patients were confirmed to have contracted the virus.

Gauteng has 235 193 cases since the outbreak, followed by the Western Cape with 132 865 cases, Eastern Cape 128 889 and KwaZulu-Natal 128 152.

The Free State has a total of 59 058 cases, North West 34 871, Mpumalanga 31 434, Northern Cape 23 213 and Limpopo 18 624.

Global view

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), global cases remained high at approximately four million new infections, even though a slight downward trend was observed.

However, according to the WHO’s COVID-19 weekly epidemiological update, deaths continue to rise, with over 69 000 new fatalities reported worldwide.

America remained the major contributor for new weekly cases last week.

“Although the European region reported a continued decrease in new weekly cases, it still accounts for the second greatest proportion of new weekly cases, while death rates have continued to increase and accounted for approximately half of the new global deaths in the past week,” the agency explained.

The Eastern Mediterranean region registered a slight decline in both cases and deaths last week, after four months of continued increases.

Also, a small increase was reported in the African and South-East Asia regions, and more substantively from the Western Pacific region last week.

In the past week, the United States reported the highest number of new cases of over 1.1 million cases (0.3% increase from the previous week), India (over 297 000 cases, 6% increase), Brazil (over 218 000 new cases, 4% increase), Italy (over 184 000 new cases, 22% decrease) and Russian Federation (over 179 000 new cases, 10% increase).

Africa

According to WHO, Africa reported about 48 000 new cases and just under 1 000 new deaths last week.

The highest number of new cases and deaths was reported from South Africa (19 730 new cases, 333 new cases per 1 million), Algeria (7438 new cases, 170 new cases per 1 million), Kenya (6201 new cases, 115 new cases per 1 million), Ethiopia (3578 new cases, 31 new cases per 1 million), and Uganda (2277 new cases, 50 new cases per 1 million).

WHO said in the past three weeks, cases in South Africa increased by over 20% week-on-week, with 19 730 new cases reported last week (3 500 more than the previous week).

“The rise in new cases in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape are a cause for concern,” the agency said.

Meanwhile, as of 30 November, Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces have reported 79% of the total cumulative cases.

As of 1 December, there are 62 844 837 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1 465 144 deaths globally.

South Africa has reported 3 250 new COVID-19 cases as the virus continues to spread nationwide, which brings the total number of infections to 775 502.

Meanwhile, Gauteng, which has been reporting the least number of active COVID-19 cases, has been asked by the national Health Department to reconcile its data.

“We have brought this to the attention of the province and they have indicated that they are in the process of harmonising the data,” said Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, on Wednesday.

“For this reason, we will not be reporting the recoveries and active cases in the province for today while we await the urgent conclusion of these processes,” he added.

The death toll now sits at 21 201 after 118 people succumbed to COVID-19.

Of the latest fatalities, 51 are reported in the Eastern Cape, 30 in the Western Cape, 24 in Free State, seven in Gauteng, four in Limpopo and two in KwaZulu-Natal.

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

The country has conducted 5 355 068 tests, of which 29 437 were performed in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation is reporting 59 481 313 global confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1 404 542 deaths.

The Western Cape has expressed deep concern about the growing infection rate and has since confirmed that it is dealing with a resurgence.

This comes after the province reported a 52.1% jump in new cases over the last week alone, after recording a more than 20% increase week-on-week.

“A resurgence is when the number of active cases increases, week-on-week, by more than 20%.

“There is also now established community transmission of the virus again in this province, which means that it is spreading within communities at a faster rate,” the Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, explained.

According to Winde, the resurgence is mostly sparked by two districts, the Garden Route and the Cape metro.

He said the surge continues to gain momentum, especially in the Garden Route after issuing a hotspot alert last week.

There are now more active cases in the George and Knysna sub-districts since the outbreak.

Winde noted that the City of Cape Town is also following a similar trajectory.

“We are therefore also issuing a hotspot alert for the metro,” he added.

However, he highlighted that the spike in the City of Cape Town is recorded in every sub-district and not confined to one area.

“While the growth in cases has mainly been driven by these two districts, we are also worried about the Cape Winelands, which is starting to record a concerning number of new cases,” said Winde.

The province is closely monitoring the Overberg, Central Karoo and West Coast districts due to their proximity to the hotspots.

According to the province’s latest data, there are currently 7 241 active infections, with a total of 126 362 confirmed cases and 114 548 recoveries.

Health system under pressure

Winde said the established COVID-19 resurgence is reflected in the proportion of positive tests, which has now grown to 16%.

“My biggest concern is for our health platform, which is under growing pressure.”

The biggest concern, according to Winde, is hospitalisations, which reached 904 on Wednesday, after recording a low of under 500 in September.

The Premier said 431 patients are receiving treatment in public hospitals, while 473 are in private hospitals.

“In the last 24-hour reporting period alone, the number of people being hospitalised for COVID-19 increased by a staggering 54 people.”

The Brackengate Hospital of Hope is now treating 109 patients after having a few patients in September.

“In fact, since the start of November, COVID-19 hospitalisations across the province have increased by 63%.

“The private sector has increased by 94%, while the public sector has increased by 39%,” said Winde.

Meanwhile, critical care admissions have risen by 75% since the start of November.

“This is particularly concerning, as an admission to a critical care unit is an indication of severe illness that might lead to death,” said Winde.

Lockdown

Winde called on everyone to prevent a hard lockdown, and to ensure that there are enough empty beds in hospitals for those who need them.

“We must be under no illusion as to how serious the situation is, and how quickly it can deteriorate further.”

The province said it has reintroduced key healthcare services to facilities, as it needs to provide comprehensive care to everyone who needs it, including non-COVID-19 patients.

“This means our hospitals are already fuller than they were earlier this year during the first wave of hospitalisations,” said Winde.

He said the province is trying to avoid “de-escalating” essential services because this will have a detrimental impact on people’s health.

“We have to save all lives, including those who don’t have COVID-19.”

He believes the situation can be under control through people’s actions.

“We also cannot afford a lockdown again, as is being witnessed in many European countries right now. Our economy simply cannot afford it. A lockdown would kill jobs and cause our humanitarian disaster to worsen. This will also cost lives in the future,” he stressed.

Keep safe

Everyone needs to remain safe and protect each other by following all the non-pharmaceutical protocols, he said.

“Every single resident should assume that COVID-19 is everywhere they go and take all the necessary precautions at every point along their journey.”

The Western Cape said it will drastically increase high visibility enforcement of the regulations to help slow down the spread of the virus through its Disaster Joint Operations Centre.

“We urge members of the public, businesses and other organisations to report violations of COVID-19 protocols immediately, so that our teams can take action immediately,” said Winde.

The COVID-19 death toll has topped the 21 000 mark after 115 more people lost their lives on Tuesday.

Of the additional deaths, 45 were recorded in the Eastern Cape, 20 in Free State, 19 in Gauteng, 16 in the Western Cape, 10 in Kwa-Zulu-Natal and five in the Northern Cape.

This brings the total number of fatalities to 21 083 since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March.

Also, 2 493 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus, which brings the number of COVID-19 cases to 772 252 to date.

The Coronavirus continues to spread across the nation, with the Eastern Cape recording the most active actives.

According to the Health Minister’s latest statistics, the Eastern Cape has the highest number of active cases at 8 512, followed by the Western Cape 7 880 and Free State 7 280.

KwaZulu-Natal has 5 645 active cases, Northern Cape 3 269, North West 1 230, Mpumalanga 373, Limpopo 373 and Gauteng 243.

Meanwhile, 716 444 patients have been healed which translates to a recovery rate of 92.8%.

“The cumulative number of tests conducted to date is 5 325 631 with 20 288 new tests conducted since the last report,” said Minister Zweli Mkhize.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is reporting 58 900 547 global confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1 393 305 deaths.

Global view

According to WHO, the “rapid acceleration” of COVID-19 cases have slowed down, with about 4 million new cases reported in the past week.

However, not the same can be said about the death rate, which continued to surge, with over 67 000 new additional fatalities recorded.

“The European and South East Asia regions continued downward trends in weekly cases; however, the European Region remains the largest contributor to new cases and new deaths in the past seven days,” the WHO added.

In America, the agency noted a peak in both new cases and deaths, while the region continues to account for the greatest proportion of cumulative cases and deaths.

“While cases numbers remain relatively low, the African region reported the highest increase in new cases (15%) and deaths (30%) this week,” the WHO said, adding that the highest new case and death counts were reported in South Africa, Algeria and Kenya.

The Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific regions also reported a rise in new cases and deaths this week.

In the past week, the United States reported the highest number of cases (over 1.1 million cases, 14% increase from the previous week), India (over 280 000 cases, 8% decrease), Italy (over 230 000 new cases, 3% decrease), Brazil (over 200 000 new cases, 17% increase) and France (over 170 000 new cases, 16% decrease).

South Africa recorded 2 080 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, which pushes the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 769 759.

“We have registered a positivity rate of 14%, which is concerning,” said Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

The Eastern Cape active cases have jumped to 11 099, followed by Free State 7 659 and the Western Cape 7 731.

Meanwhile, 65 more people succumbed to the deadly virus, which brings the death toll to 20 968.

Of the new additional deaths, 26 were reported in the Eastern Cape, 19 in the Free State, eight in the North West, seven in the Western Cape and three in Limpopo.

In addition, the recovery rate stands at 92.4% after 711 195 people beat the Coronavirus.

“The cumulative number of tests conducted to date is 5 305 343 with 14 377 new tests conducted since the last report,” Mkhize added.

The World Health Organisation is currently reporting 58 425 681 global cases, including 1 385 218 deaths.

Another 2 270 people have contracted Coronavirus, bringing the national total to 767 679 since the start of the pandemic.

Official statistics show that 20 903 people have died from COVID-19 related illnesses, with 58 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours.

Of the additional fatalities, 28 were recorded in the Eastern Cape, 13 in Free State, nine in the Western Cape and eight in Gauteng.

“We extend 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, on Sunday.

The Eastern Cape remains the epicentre in terms of active cases, with 9 811, followed by the Free State with 7 728, the Western Cape 7 322 and KwaZulu-Natal 6 134.

The Northern Cape has 3 361 active cases, North West 1 195, Mpumalanga 432, Gauteng 361 and Limpopo 333.

The recovery rate is standing at 92.5% after 710 099 patients beat COVID-19.

The statistics are based on the 5 290 966 tests conducted, 21 904 of which were performed since the last report.

Vaccine

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the past four weeks than in the first six months of the pandemic.

“Across Europe and North America, hospitals and ICU units are filling up or full,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Speaking during a media briefing on Friday, 20 November, Ghebreyesus welcomed the good news from vaccine trials, which he said gives hope towards ending the pandemic.

According to reports, Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, are filing for emergency authorisation in the United States of their COVID-19 vaccine.

Primary efficacy analysis demonstrates the vaccine to be 95% effective against COVID-19, starting 28 days after the first dose, while the trial showed the vaccine protects 94% of adults over the age of 65.

Ghebreyesus has urged people to continue to use the precautionary tools to “interrupt” the chains of transmission and save lives.

WHO has reported 57 882 183 confirmed global cases of COVID-19, including 1 377 395 deaths, to date.

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) will open and begin processing the latest and last round of COVID-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme Benefits (COVID-19 TERS) applications on 23 November 2020 and close on 31 December 2020, the UIF announced on Tuesday.

This follows last week’s announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the COVID-19 TERS benefits would be extended by another month.

The extension has been subject to robust discussions with social partners at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC).

Acting UIF Commissioner Marsha Bronkhorst said the receipt of COVID-19 TERS applications for 16 September 2020 to 15 October 2020 will close on 31 December, and “no further applications shall be accepted beyond that date”.

This period covers the following categories of employees whose employers are:

• Not permitted to commence operations under the Disaster Management Regulations;
• Unable to make alternative arrangements for vulnerable workers, such as working from home or taking special measures under the OHS Direction to protect them; and
• Unable to make use of their services because of operational requirements caused by compliance with the Regulations and Directions such as rostering, staggering working hours, short time and introduction of shift systems.

The application process remains the same for the extension period and all claims must be lodged via the online portal https://uifecc.labour.gov.za/covid19//

“As with previous claim processes, to apply in the new period, employers are required to upload similar documentation that include signed approval or acceptance letter, bank confirmation letter, proof of payment to employees and refund to the UIF – if applicable,” Bronkhorst said.

In keeping with strict governance principles, Bronkhorst said UIF will still subject payments to bank verification before releasing the funds into the applicant’s accounts.

“The immediate past has taught us that even under the pandemic, criminals are at large and looking to benefit through their nefarious means. We have an obligation to do everything in our power to ensure that funds are not paid into the incorrect accounts,” Bronkhorst said.

The COVID-19 TERS Relief Scheme was established to assist employees who lost income due to the Coronavirus and the regulations limiting economic activity during the various levels of the lockdown.

Since March 2020, just over R52 billion has been disbursed in 11.5 million payments through over one million employers.

The number of COVID-19 cases is now 754 256 after 1 987 new infections were identified on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the death toll now sits at 20 433 after 119 people succumbed to the respiratory illness caused by the Coronavirus.

Of the additional deaths, 42 were reported in Gauteng, 36 in the Eastern Cape, 22 in Free State, 11 in the Western Cape, seven in KwaZulu-Natal and one in Mpumalanga.

“Of the 118 deaths, seven reportedly occurred in the past 48 hours, three in the Free State and four in the Western Cape,” said Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

There are currently 37 003 active cases, with the Eastern Cape leading the pack with 9 890, followed by Free State 8 198, Western Cape 5 494, and KwaZulu-Natal 5 290.

Also, 696 820 patients recuperated since the outbreak which translates to a recovery rate of 92.4%.

The data is based on the 5 160 877 tests of which 17 930 were conducted since the last report.

Global view

The number of new cases being reported globally continues to rise, with almost 4 million new cases in the past week (9–15 November) alone.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the number of new deaths globally has also grown by 11%, with almost 60 000 new deaths reported, of which 81% were in Europe and America.

“Although the European region continues to report the highest number of new cases globally (46%), it has seen a 10% fall in the past week following the strengthening of public health and social measures across the region,” the organisation explained.

However, deaths have peaked substantially with over 29 000 new deaths reported in the past week in Europe.

Meanwhile, America reported a sharp upward trend, with a 41% increase in new cases in the past week.

“The Eastern Mediterranean, African and Western Pacific regions also reported increases in the number of new cases.”

The South-East Asia region, on the other hand, reported a decline in the new cases and new deaths.

Countries recording the highest number of cases in the past week include the United States of America (over 1 million new cases, a 47% increase compared to the previous week), India (306 000 cases, 5% decrease), Italy (242 000 cases, 9% increase), France (203 000 cases, 47% decrease), and Brazil (179 000 cases, 57% increase).

Meanwhile, as of Tuesday, there have been 54 771 888 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1 324 249 deaths, reported to the WHO.

The Western Cape has issued an urgent hotspot alert for the Garden Route as COVID-19 cases continue to climb in the area.

“This spike is mainly contributing to the notable growth of active cases in the Western Cape,” the provincial government said.

Meanwhile, the province has also noted an upward trend in George, Knysna and Bitou.

According to the provincial government, George, which currently has 628 active cases, has the highest number of active cases in the province.

George registered most infections over the weekend at 160, followed by Knysna/Bitou at 145 and Mossel Bay 41.

Meanwhile, Hessequa recorded seven new infections.

“Along with the increasing number of cases in the region, we are also seeing the number of hospitalisations increase,” the province said, adding that hospitals still have sufficient capacity to cope with the surge in cases.

However, the provincial government is calling on people to take responsibility to contain the further spread of the virus.

The province said the hotspot team for the Garden Route has increased surveillance, through screening and testing.

“We are also working closely with the municipalities, environmental health teams, and stakeholders in the region to manage and contain the spread. This includes a concerted communications campaign in the area.”

The provincial government is also paying special attention to vulnerable groups, including old age homes.

“We need every single resident of the Garden Route and visitors to the region to help us stop this surge.”

Premier Alan Winde has pleaded with residents to wear their masks at all times when out in public places; avoid gatherings and crowded places, especially with poor ventilation; stay at least 1.5 metres apart, and wash hands with soap and water regularly.

“If you feel sick, stay at home or call the hotline on 080 928 4102,” he pleaded in a Facebook video.

“We can only get the situation under control with your help. Let’s stay safe and keep moving forward.”

Slowing the spread

On Sunday, Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, expressed concern about the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.

Mkhize said his department is now watching the two provinces closely.

“This is to indicate now that we have started seeing a little increasing activity in the Eastern Cape and a little bit in the Western Cape,” Mkhize said

The Minister is currently visiting the Eastern Cape to address the issue of cluster outbreaks in the province and has called for urgent action to curb the spread.

“We want to see the numbers subside in the Eastern Cape. We are going to have to find the cluster outbreaks and decrease the spread,” Mkhize said.

Seventy-three more people have died from COVID-19 in South Africa, according to the new figures from the Health Department.

Of the new fatalities, 32 are from the Eastern Cape, 23 from Free State, 11 from the Western Cape and seven from Gauteng.

According to the Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, 15 lost their lives in the last 48 hours, which brings the death toll to 20 314.

Meanwhile, 1 245 new cases have been registered in the last 24 hours, down from 1 842 on Sunday, pushing the number of detected COVID-19 cases to 752 269.

The Eastern Cape has the highest number of active actives at 8 607, followed by Free State 8 540, Western Cape 5 884, KwaZulu-Natal 5 174 and Northern Cape 3 711.

Gauteng has 2 004 active cases, North West 1 724, Mpumalanga 429 and Limpopo 386.

“Our recoveries now stand at 695 496, which translates to a recovery rate of 92.5%,” said Mkhize.

The information is based on the 5 142 947 tests performed since the outbreak, of which 12 755 were done since the last report.

Speaking during an interview on 702, Mkhize warned that there is going to be a lot of complacency going into the festive season.

“Right now, our biggest concern is the festive season. People want to go out and enjoy themselves without adhering to containment measures.”

He sent a strong message that the country is not out of the woods yet, as government works around the clock to avoid resurgence.

He once again told the people that the major weapon against the deadly virus is the ability to prevent the spread and cluster outbreaks.

“Therefore, washing of hands, use of sanitisers and social distancing become very important.

“For now, we have no vaccine. So we need to adhere to containment measures.”

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 54 301 156 people contracted Coronavirus since the outbreak, while 1 316 994 deaths have been recorded globally.