Latest News & Developments
Political party ActionSA said businesses had been forced to close, livelihoods were destroyed and the ramifications of these regulations had only served to exacerbate the fragile state of the economy and the unemployment crisis which places the country in great peril
“I actually think we are past the peak of the fifth wave” - Winde
The NICD’s Prof Adrian Puren, said that while no cases have been reported in South Africa, they are preparing for a possible importation of monkeypox.
Professor Tulio de Oliveira and Dr Sikhulile Moyo were honoured for leading the multidisciplinary team who discovered the Omicron variant in November 2021.
The president and the German chancellor discussed ways in which Pretoria and Berlin could strengthen economic and social ties.
What’s notable about the most recent spike is that there are a number of differences between what the country is experiencing and the first four waves of Covid-19 in South Africa.
Less than a month after South Africa started seeing an increase in Covid-19 cases due to two Omicron subvariants, experts have noticed a slight drop in the number of new cases.
A UKZN professor says vaccine efficiency and herd immunity are two key reasons there won’t be as many deaths in the fifth wave of Covid-19.
Health and Wellness MEC Nomafrench Mbombo was responding to questions from EFF MPL Melikhaya Xego about the preparations the department has in place to deal with the fifth wave of infections.
Researchers examined the effectiveness of a second Johnson & Johnson dose, in more than 240 000 Sisonke study health-care workers.
Western Cape Department of Health not panicking over coronavirus resurgence as Covid cases occupy 8% of hospital beds
The Health Department says vaccinations remain low despite it being the best way to combat the virus.
According to the Department of Health, over 10 000 new Covid-19 cases and 50 deaths have been recorded in SA. The spike in new cases is the largest in recent weeks.
The Western Cape has breached the 10 000 active cases of Covid-19 mark, with the surge pointing towards the anticipated fifth wave.
It’s been nine months since the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine for the age group 18 to 34, but only 5. 5 million have opted to be vaccinated.
South Africa and Gauteng are not yet in the fifth wave of Covid-19, says the National Department of Health. For almost three weeks, South Africa has seen a steady rise in the number of reported Covid-19 cases, particularly in the Gauteng province which has contributed to about 50% of reported daily cases.
Many residents blame queuing for the all-to-frequent PCR tests, or deliveries of food and other items, which all rely on volunteers, property management staff, and couriers.
A UKZN health expert said that as Covid-19 infections rose, the impending influenza season would superimpose on the fifth wave.
According to the NICD’s latest wastewater-based surveillance report, the areas served by the wastewater treatment plants that have been showing high levels of SARS-CoV-2 in the past weeks are beginning to show corresponding increase in clinical cases.
OPINION: Typically, it’s recommended that 95% of the population needs to be vaccinated to protect children, writes Conor Meehan.
This is a time for the country to unite in a common effort to fight infection, including encouraging vaccination, the taking of booster shots to increase immunity, and adherence to preventive measures.
Omicron was first detected by South African scientists in November last year.
Aspen currently has the capacity to produce around one million vaccine doses per day.
Two Omicron sub-variants are driving an increase in Covid-19 cases in South Africa and could push the country over the threshold for a fifth wave
Neurologic symptoms are frequently reported even in patients with mild Covid.