SA records 1 447 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday


Western Cape Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo says over 3 000 health workers have received the vaccine jab in the province so far.

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The Department of Health says as of Monday the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 1 504 588 with 792 new cases identified since the last report.

The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and Steve Biko Academic Hospital, in Pretoria, say they have taken lessons from the chaotic situation, on Sunday, regarding COVID-19 vaccination.

The Co-chair of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19, Professor Salim Abdool-Karim, says scientists are trying to establish whether people who have been vaccinated can still transmit the coronavirus.

The Gauteng Department of Health says panic among healthcare workers that there might not be enough COVID-19 vaccines for all of them may have caused Sunday's chaos at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria.

Japan will only receive limited doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the first months of the rollout and shots for the elderly will be distributed gradually, the country's inoculation chief said.

The start of a vaccination campaign against Ebola in southeastern Guinea has been delayed by a day after the vaccines did not arrive in the country on Sunday due to bad weather, health authorities said.

A group of about 50 doctors and medical practitioners have launched an urgent application to have the Ivermectin drug made more accessible to combat COVID-19.

The Department of Health says there is a surge in demand for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine that South Africa has begun rolling out. The vaccination drive began on Wednesday, with phase one targeting healthcare workers.

Australia’s government pledged a publicity campaign for its rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday but not in Facebook advertisements, as a feud continues over the social media giant blocking news content from its platform in the country.

The risk of illness from COVID-19 dropped 95.8% among people who received both shots of Pfizer’s vaccine, Israel’s Health Ministry said on Saturday.

Health experts continue to warn against the unauthorised use of Ivermectin tablets in the treatment of COVID-19.

NASA scientists on Friday presented striking early images from the picture-perfect landing of the Mars rover Perseverance, including a selfie of the six-wheeled vehicle dangling just above the surface of the Red Planet moments before touchdown.

The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) says there's growing enthusiasm among health care workers now that government has rolled out the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

Facebook Inc is back at the negotiating table, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Saturday after the tech giant this week blocked news on its site in the country.

South Africa has recorded 1 911 new coronavirus cases on Friday, bringing the total number to 1 500 677.

In this week's Global COVID-19 Wrap, SABC News captures highlights from all corners of the globe, as the number of confirmed infections worldwide continue to rise.

The politically sensitive gap between vaccinating people in wealthy and developing countries could narrow to half a year, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates said on Friday.

The Head of the Department of Health, in the province, was the first senior government official to be vaccinated.

Northern Cape farmers are on high alert as fears grow over the movement of swarms of locusts that are destroying crops around the province.

A look at the number of vaccines secured, the rollout plan and key numbers related to COVID-19 vaccines.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowed on Friday to press ahead with laws to force Facebook Inc to pay news outlets for content, saying he had received support from world leaders after the social media giant blacked out all media.

Health services at clinics in the Ndlambe Municipality in Makhanda and also parts of the Buffalo City Metro, in the Eastern Cape, have come to a standstill.

Nursing union, Denosa, in the Eastern Cape says its members are happy with the way the doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are being administered.

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he would continue his talks with Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg on Friday after the social media platform blocked its news feeds in the country over disputes over a new media payment code.

The Health Department has recorded 2 327 new COVID-19 cases, taking the number of total infections to 1 498 766 in the last 24 hours.

NASA's science rover Perseverance, the most advanced astrobiology laboratory ever sent to another world, streaked through the Martian atmosphere on Thursday and landed safely on the floor of a vast crater, its first stop on a search for traces of ancient microbial life on the Red Planet.

The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries says preliminary determinations show the elevated levels of Sulphur dioxide and Hydrogen sulphide in the air, are most likely to have emanated from the Sasol operation in Secunda.

A new study shows that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is indeed able to protect against severe disease and death even regarding the variant of the virus first detected in South Africa.