SA records 1 447 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday


Facebook Inc cannot share any contact information it collects from WhatsApp users in South Africa with its other properties without first obtaining authorisation from the country's Information Regulator (IR), the agency said on Wednesday.

The Health Department has reported 1 447 new cases of coronavirus, taking the number of total infections to 1 516 262 on Wednesday. There have been a further 95 COVID-19-related deaths in the country, bringing the national toll to 50 366.

The vaccination centre at the hospital is the second one besides the one at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in Johannesburg.

New research from the country's top medical scientists shows that people infected with the variant of the coronavirus found in South Africa have developed a level of immunity against that variant and possibly other mutations of the coronavirus as well.

Around 600 healthcare workers from rural areas in the Western Cape will be vaccinated over the next two weeks.

The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr Blade Nzimande, and the Minister of Health, Dr Zwelini Mkhize, jointly host a virtual media briefing on the latest scientific results on COVID-19 variant. Genomic research has proved to be a potent tool in the fight against COVID- 19. Investigations by South African genomic scientists into […]

Professor of Vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand says the government should use the doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Some delegates attending the annual meetings of the Chinese parliament and its advisory body due to begin this week will propose issuing COVID-19 vaccine passports that they say will restore some normality, the Global Times reported on Wednesday.

Deputy President David Mabuza says government is working on improving South Africa's capability to produce coronavirus vaccines. He was visiting the Biovac Institute in Midrand, Johannesburg, where the coronavirus vaccines are being kept.

China on Tuesday rejected an allegation by a cyber intelligence firm that a state-backed hacking group targeted the IT systems of two Indian coronavirus vaccine makers.

Lobby group Afriforum says government has admitted that there are no legal restrictions to prevent the private sector from purchasing COVID-19 vaccines.

Western Cape Health Minister Nomafrench Mbombo has officially opened the first vaccination centre for private sector frontline workers at the Melomed Hospital in Gatesville in Cape Town.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura says it is would be misleading to think a province can directly procure COVID-19 vaccines from pharmaceutical companies.

Afriforum’s Ernst Van Zyl says allowing the private sector to purchase and distribute the vaccines would make the country's rollout more efficient and corruption-free.

Gauteng now has four COVID-19 vaccination sites for healthcare workers.

A third wave is expected in June or July and Karim says government is better prepared for the next wave of infections.

Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says more should be done to accelerate the vaccination of healthcare workers.

The drug hydroxychloroquine, once touted by Donald Trump as a pandemic "game-changer", should not be used to prevent COVID-19 and has no meaningful effect on patients already infected, a World Health Organisation expert panel said on Tuesday.

An endangered Sumatran orangutan was born in New Orleans in a welcome surprise to zookeepers, who had been expecting the newborn around April or May.

Twitter said it would apply warnings to tweets that contain misleading information about COVID-19 vaccines and implement a strike system of enforcement that could see users permanently banned for repeat violations.

The Health Department has reported 566 new cases of coronavirus, taking the number of total infections to 1 513 959.

The second batch of Johnson and Johnson vaccines have been delivered to the Northern Cape Department of Health.

Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize is attending a virtual panel discussion hosted by Wits University on the COVID-19 vaccine.

A Chinese state-backed hacking group has in recent weeks targeted the IT systems of two Indian vaccine makers whose coronavirus shots are being used in the country’s immunisation campaign, cyber intelligence firm Cyfirma told Reuters.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the country has secured vaccines from different manufacturers to ensure herd immunity.

A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel voted unanimously on Sunday to recommend Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 shot for widespread use, a final clearance for the vaccine a day after it was authorized by US regulators.

South Africa’s coronavirus (COVID-19) death toll is seven of breaking the 50 000 mark. This after the country recorded a further 52 COVID-19-related deaths bringing the total number of deaths to 49 993.

More than 20 million people across the United Kingdom have now received their first COVID-19 vaccine shot, data showed on Sunday as the country made more progress with Europe's fastest vaccination programme.

A US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel is expected on Sunday to recommend Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 shot for widespread use, a final clearance for the vaccine after it was authorised by US regulators on Saturday.

Russia launched its space satellite Arktika-M on Sunday on a mission to monitor the climate and environment in the Arctic amid a push by the Kremlin to expand the country's activities in the region.