News24.com | LIVE | Covid-19 cases at 1 686 in SA\, arrest made for fake video

LIVE | Covid-19 cases at 1 686 in SA, arrest made for fake video

2020-04-07 10:00

News24 team

Stay up to date with the latest news, views and analysis as the number of coronavirus cases in SA increases.

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Last Updated at 10:20
10:18
10:17
09:59

Latest update on South Africa:


The death toll stands at 12.


A Cape Town man who posted a video relating to Covid-19, claiming testing kits are possibly contaminated, has been arrested.

South Africa hopes to be building ventilators before the end of April, with a target of manufacturing 10 000 devices by the end of June, with the capacity to build up to 50 000 more if necessary.


The government is preparing to evacuate South Africans who can get to its embassy in Brazil ahead of a flight out on Wednesday morning, with a compulsory 14 days' quarantine on arrival.


The Duduza Clinic in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, will reopen on Wednesday after a deep clean sparked by a resident nurse testing positive for Covid-19, a statement from mayor Mzwandile Masina said.
09:07
International wrap | Trump, Biden bury hatchet, China records no deaths, and the world needs nurses
08:15
Coronavirus morning update: The latest on testing in SA, UK PM in ICU, and more on symptoms

Your latest coronavirus news: How SA will test for the virus; drive-thru testing stations aimed at flattening the curve; UK PM Boris Johnson in intensive care; and neurological symptoms and the virus.
08:06
Man who posted fake 'contaminated' Covid-19 test kits video arrested

Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the 55-year-old man was expected to appear in court on Tuesday following his arrest on Monday by police from Parow police station in Cape Town.
07:32

Ron Derby: The forest is burning

There’s no nation that hasn’t been caught out by the crisis that has seen commerce freeze as some of the world’s largest cities look like the set of yet another dystopic movie. In recessions past or rather of the modern era, they’ve normally been triggered by the popping of an asset bubble somewhere in the world. This contraction comes directly from the nuts and bolts of the entire global economy and, as such, poses a grave question for us, writes Fin24 Editor Ron Derby.
07:26
Lockdown: Some Alexandra residents ready to defy quarantine orders if they test positive

News24's Ntwaagae Seleka spoke to residents of Setjwetla informal settlement in Alexandra, Johannesburg, some of which are seemingly ready to disobey the government's efforts to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic from spreading in the area.
06:59
Latest update on South Africa:

One more person has died from the coronavirus, as the number of positive Covid-19 cases has gone up to 1 686, an increase of 31.

The death toll is now at 12.

The Department of Health said that the latest person to die from the virus is a 57-year-old man from the Western Cape. 
06:58
PICS | Hundreds arrive to move into newly erected Cape Town 'homeless village'

The facility, in Strandfontein, near the False Bay coastline on the Cape Flats, is equipped with a comprehensive range of services – all housed in a village of weatherproof marquees.
06:55
Six Covid-19 myths debunked

In the time of Covid-19, society desperately needs reliable information. This video explainer debunks 6 myths flying around about Covid-19.
06:50
Boris Johnson is in ICU. Here's what happens if he becomes too ill to remain prime minister

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to an intensive care unit after his "persistent symptoms of coronavirus" worsened on Monday. 
06:44
WATCH | Lockdown: Gauteng taxis to be disinfected every 3 days to curb the spread of Covid-19

The City of Ekurhuleni has vowed to strictly ensure that all regulations relating to taxi operators are respected and implemented for the duration of the Covid-19 enforced lockdown period.

06:06
Americans were put on notice Monday not to let up in the fight against the coronavirus, as a grim milestone of 10 000 deaths cast a pall over the first signs of optimism about the outbreak's trajectory.

The United States has emerged as one of the world's worst-hit nations, with a steadily mounting number of fatalities and millions facing the possibility of economic ruin.

Authorities began the week by telling frightened communities to brace for one of the worst periods yet in an outbreak that has not yet reached its peak.

Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University, which has been keeping a running tally of coronavirus numbers, said more than 360 000 US cases had been confirmed, with 10 923 deaths by late Monday.

Only Italy (16,523) and Spain (13,341) have seen more of their citizens killed by the pandemic.

- AFP
22:19
One more person has died from the coronavirus, as the cases jumped to 1 686 on Monday.

Here are the stories of the day

A machine called the GeneXpert, currently used to diagnose tuberculosis (TB), will be used by the state to test for the coronavirus. The smallest version of the machine is the size of a desktop computer. It takes 45 minutes to give a result.

South Africa's economy may contract by between 2% and 4% this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the SA Reserve Bank has said. In its latest Monetary Policy Review, the central bank said there was also limited scope for an economic rebound in 2021, with growth unlikely to exceed 1%.

UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is in intensive care after his condition worsened. He was admitted to hospital on Sunday. Johnson tested positive for the virus last month. 

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s mother has died from the coronavirus. Dolors Sala Carrio, 82, died in Manresa, Barcelona.

Every South African cellphone subscriber will be getting at least two SMSes every day about the coronavirus disaster, under new rules published by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) on Monday. SMSes must also be sent "notifications of all announcements by the Minister of Health or the Presidency" under the same rules.

News24 takes you behind the scenes of a Covid-19 testing drive-thru station. HealthInsite, a corporate wellness and occupational health service provider, in collaboration with Mullah Labs, have since 26 March been conducting drive-thru Covid-19 tests at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
21:55
Local stories you have have missed: SA couple stuck in Maldives hotel, Western Cape cases continue to increase

One more person has died from the coronavirus, as the number of positive Covid-19 cases has gone up to 1 686, an increase of 31. The death toll is now at 12. The Department of Health said that the latest person to die from the virus is a 57-year-old man from the Western Cape.

South African couple are the only guests stuck in luxury Maldives hotel amid coronavirus lockdown. Olivia (27) and Raul (28) de Freitas from South Africa arrived at the beautiful Cinnamon Velifushi hotel in the Maldives on 22 March for their perfect honeymoon.

There were 475 recorded cases of Covid-19 in the Western Cape by midday on Monday, with 26 patients in hospital and 12 in intensive care units (ICUs), as cases in the province continue to increase.

The Reserve Bank's Prudential Authority has advised banks not to distribute ordinary dividends, and for bonuses to senior executives to be put on hold in the wake of Covid-19. 
21:48
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to intensive care

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was diagnosed with coronavirus late last month, was on Monday moved to an intensive care unit after his condition worsened, his office said.

Johnson announced he had mild symptoms of Covid-19 on March 27 and had been in self-isolation at his Downing Street residence for seven days.

The 55-year-old, who was admitted to a London hospital on Sunday evening for tests after continuing to suffer a cough and high temperature, has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab "to deputise for him where necessary", the spokesperson said.
21:24
One more person dies from Covid-19 in SA

One more person has died from the coronavirus, as the number of positive Covid-19 cases has gone up to 1 686, an increase of 31. 

The Department of Health said that the latest person to die from the virus is a 57-year-old man from the Western Cape. 

Gauteng still has the highest number of cases with 713, followed by the Western Cape with 462, and KwaZulu-Natal with 257. 
21:14
Reserve Bank asks banks to hold off on bonuses for senior execs

The Reserve Bank's Prudential Authority has advised banks not to distribute ordinary dividends, and for bonuses to senior executives to be put on hold in the wake of Covid-19.

The central bank on Monday evening issued a statement announcing the regulatory relief measures to support the banking system as it faces the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak. 
21:07
South African couple are the only guests stuck in luxury Maldives hotel amid coronavirus lockdown

What was meant to be a six-day honeymoon on the tropical island soon turned into an isolation destination for these South African newlyweds.

Olivia (27) and Raul (28) de Freitas from South Africa arrived at the beautiful Cinnamon Velifushi hotel in the Maldives on 22 March for their perfect honeymoon.
21:03
Liverpool make U-turn on applying for UK coronavirus financial aid

Liverpool on Monday scrapped their controversial decision to furlough non-playing staff during the coronavirus pandemic after the Premier League leaders apologised for coming to the "wrong conclusion".

The Reds were widely criticised, even by former players, after announcing at the weekend that they planned to put around 200 staff on enforced leave during the pandemic while the British government pays 80% of their wages.
20:50
International Covid-19 update: US death toll at 10 000, WWII veterans die from virus

More than 10 000 people in the US have died from the coronavirus, a John Hopkins University tracker says. In total, there have been 10 335 deaths in the US by Monday evening. 

Meanwhile, three prominent former members of the French resistance that fought the German occupation in World War II have died in France in their 90s of Covid-19, memorial associations have announced, AFP reports.

A popular Nigerian actress was on Monday found guilty of breaking coronavirus lockdown restrictions in economic hub Lagos by throwing a birthday party, AFP reportsFunke Akindele, a Nollywood film star popularly known as Jenifa, was arrested and pleaded guilty to hosting the bash for her husband and show business pals at their upscale residence on Saturday.
20:44
Coronavirus cases in the Western Cape rise as more patients admitted to ICU

There were 475 recorded cases of Covid-19 in the Western Cape by midday on Monday, with 26 patients in hospital and 12 in intensive care units (ICUs).
The Western Cape had the second highest number of cases after Gauteng (704), according to the statistics released by the department on Sunday.
20:24
Health minister Zweli Mkhize has this message for South Africans during lockdown
20:16

US Covid-19 deaths break 10 000

More than 10,000 people have died of coronavirus complications in the US since the outbreak began there in late January, a John Hopkins University tracker says.

The university, which has been keeping a running tally of global coronavirus numbers, said there are at least 347 003 confirmed infections in the US with 10 335 deaths.

- AFP 
19:56
Top SA stories from the past few hours: The machine that will test for Covid-19, number of cases in Nelson Mandela Bay increases

A machine called the GeneXpert, currently used to diagnose tuberculosis (TB), will be used by the state to test for the coronavirus. The smallest version of the machine is the size of a desktop computer. It takes 45 minutes to give a result.

News24 goes behind the scenes of a Covid-19 testing drive-thru station. HealthInsite, a corporate wellness and occupational health service provider, in collaboration with Mullah Labs, have since 26 March been conducting drive-thru Covid-19 tests at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

The number of positive Covid-19 cases in Nelson Mandela Bay has risen to 16, which includes three more people linked to a KwaDwesi funeral held 16 days ago in the city. The numbers for the Eastern Cape stand at 31.
19:34
France once again breaks its own 24-hour death toll record

France on Monday reported that 833 more people had died of Covid-19 in hospitals and nursing homes over the previous 24 hours, its highest daily toll since the epidemic began.

"We have not reached the end of the ascent of this epidemic," Health Minster Olivier Veran said, as he announced the new toll which brought the total number killed in the coronavirus epidemic in France to 8 911.

France is now giving a daily combined toll of deaths in hospitals and nursing homes. Previously it had only given the hospital toll on a daily basis.

- AFP 
19:28
Drone footage shows a dead quiet Cape Town in lockdown

South African drone company Step Above has captured Cape Town’s current dead quiet state during lockdown. 

The footage reveals how the busiest streets in Cape Town, from its central business district to Hout Bay, have now run eerily quiet. 
19:17
Nelson Mandela Bay now has 16 Covid-19 cases

The number of positive Covid-19 cases in Nelson Mandela Bay has risen to 16, which includes three more people linked to a KwaDwesi funeral held 16 days ago in the city.

The numbers for the Eastern Cape stand at 31.
19:01
International Covid-19 update: India hospital shuts, France sex workers want emergency fund help

A major private hospital in Mumbai was shut to new patients and declared a coronavirus containment zone on Monday after 26 nurses and three doctors tested positive, AFP reports.

In France, sex workers have asked the government for an emergency fund to compensate them for lost income, after their work was especially hard-hit by social distancing and confinement measures to combat the coronavirus, AFP reports. 

AFP reports that More than 50 doctors protesting the lack of safety equipment as they battle the coronavirus were arrested Monday in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta.

And more than 80 passengers and crew aboard an Australian cruise ship off South America have tested positive for the coronavirus, AFP has reported. 
18:52
FAKE NEWS ALERT

A short clip doing the rounds on social media showing President Cyril Ramaphosa extending the lockdown period is a fake. 
18:49
How South Africa will test for the Covid-19 virus

A machine called the GeneXpert, currently used to diagnose tuberculosis (TB), will be used by the state to test for the coronavirus.

The smallest version of the machine is the size of a desktop computer. It takes four cartridges, where each cartridge is loaded up with sputum from a patient and chemical reagents which allow the machine to detect genetic material of TB, or now coronavirus. It takes 45 minutes to give a result.
18:29
How Covid-19 drive-thru testing station is helping to 'flattening the curve'

South Africans aren't unaccustomed to queueing in a drive-thru, ordering and then waiting for food.

But a drive-thru station that conducts Covid-19 tests is surely a first.

HealthInsite, a corporate wellness and occupational health service provider, in collaboration with Mullah Labs, have since 26 March been conducting drive-thru Covid-19 tests at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
18:19
SA Taxi gives taxi bosses reprieve on monthly instalments

SA Taxi, a financing and insurance company specialising in the taxi industry, has given taxi owners a temporary financial lifeline for April.

It has also committed more than R3 million to assist the taxi industry in its fight against Covid-19.
18:07
UK Covid-19 death toll breaks 5 000

More than 5 000 people who tested positive for coronavirus have now died in the UK, the health ministry said in a tweet. 
18:02
Top stories from the past hour: 16 taxi drivers arrested for lockdown transgressions, ‘fake news merchants should be charged’  

Sixteen taxi drivers are behind bars for contravening the recently adjusted regulations implemented by the government to prevent the spread of Covid-19.On Monday, Transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo said the taxi drivers were arrested in Tshwane on Sunday, adding a Rea Vaya driver was also arrested on the same day.

Social media experts say that creating and sharing false information is criminal and offenders should be prosecuted. They have spoken out in the wake of fake news and hoaxes which have come out during the coronavirus pandemic.  

KFC's owner Yum! Brands has told landlords in South Africa that the US firm won’t be paying rent while outlets are closed during the three-week government-enforced lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic. The decision relates to 48 company-owned stores in SA.
17:56
'I'm a druggie' - man apologises for 'coronavirus se p**s' viral video

A man who was arrested on Saturday after filming himself using tik in front of the Lyttelton police station, has apologised in a series of videos. 

The 23-year-old man, whose name is known to News24, is expected to appear in court on Monday after he was arrested for allegedly contravening regulations under the Disaster Management Act 2002.
17:41
People who spread fake news are either criminals or just stupid, and they should face criminal charges - social media experts

Social media experts agree that creating and sharing false information is criminal and offenders should be prosecuted. 

Fake news, hoaxes and conspiracy theories have been ubiquitous since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. People have either, in their ignorance, unwittingly shared false information on their social media pages or via WhatsApp, while others have actively created fake news to serve various malicious objectives. 
17:26
KFC owner withholds rent from SA landlords during lockdown

KFC's owner Yum! Brands has told landlords in South Africa that the US firm won’t be paying rent while outlets are closed during the three-week government-enforced lockdown to contain the coronavirus pandemic. 

The decision relates to 48 company-owned stores in SA.
17:18
16 taxi drivers arrested in Tshwane for transgressing lockdown regulations

Transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo said the taxi drivers were arrested in Tshwane on Sunday, adding a Rea Vaya driver was also arrested on the same day.

"The police will arrest and they must arrest. It is non-negotiable that taxis must carry 70% of their load and operate on the stipulated hours of trade and not beyond that," Mamabolo said. 
17:03
Local stories you may have missed: ‘SA economy may shrink up to 4%’, SA cricketers get financial security for now

South Africa's economy may contract by between 2% and 4% this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the SA Reserve Bank has said. In its latest Monetary Policy Review, the central bank said there was also limited scope for an economic rebound in 2021, with growth unlikely to exceed 1%.

Sport24 reports that South Africa's professional cricket players have financial security in the midst of the global coronavirus crisis, at least for the short-term. Funds have been secured to pay the country's contracted players - at Proteas and provincial level - for the 2020/21 season.

From earlier today: Business Insider reports that Every South African cellphone subscriber will be getting at least two SMSes every day about the coronavirus disaster, under new rules published by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) on Monday. SMSes must also be sent "notifications of all announcements by the Minister of Health or the Presidency" under the same rules.
17:00
International Covid-19 update: Kenya shuts borders, Argentina throws lifeline to debtors

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday imposed a three-week ban on movement in and out of four main coronavirus "infected areas", including the capital Nairobi, ahead of the usually busy Easter weekend.

Nigeria has asked for $6.9 billion from multilateral lenders including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank to tackle the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Over in Cyprus, a trade union has said pet dogs have more freedom than children under strict social distancing restrictions the country has enforced to stem the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, Argentina is deferring payments of up to $9.8 billion on its local public debt in response to the coronavirus crisis. 
16:54
Zimbabwe police accused assaulting journalists during lockdown

An African media watchdog charged Monday that Zimbabwean police had assaulted a journalist and forced him to delete pictures of them enforcing a Covid-19 lockdown.

But police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said they had received no formal report about the incident...
16:35
Struggling with working from home? Here's how to make a success of it and avoid burnout

You might feel like working from home during lockdown is synonymous with being in a trapped space, and you might even be more likely to experience burnout, but South African psychiatrist, Professor Renata Schoeman, shares some tips to make the adjustment a little bit easier.
16:22
Pep Guardiola's elderly mother has died of coronavirus

The 82-year-old mother of Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has died from coronavirus, the club has announced on Twitter.

Dolors Sala Carrió died in Manresa, Barcelona.
15:59
SA cricketers have short-term financial security during the coronavirus shutdown

South Africa's professional cricket players have financial security in the midst of the global coronavirus crisis, at least for the short-term. 

All around the world, players and administrators are being forced to take pay cuts with the pandemic having brought sport - domestic and international - to a screeching halt. 

Funds have been secured to pay the country's contracted players - at Proteas and provincial level - for the 2020/21 season. 
15:53
Neurological ailments in some coronavirus patients – what could this mean?

As Covid-19 causes complications and death in patients globally, experts are attempting to find out exactly how the virus attacks the body.

While medical experts reported acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) as one of the main symptoms of Covid-19, it has been shown that it can also affect the heart. But now, according to an article in New York Times, and reports by clinicians, neurological symptoms such as confusion, seizures and an altered mental state have also been observed.

But what does this mean?
15:25
Economy may shrink by up to 4% due to coronavirus, warns SA Reserve Bank

South Africa's economy may contract by between 2% and 4% this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the SA Reserve Bank has said. 

In its latest Monetary Policy Review, the central bank said there was also limited scope for an economic rebound in 2021, with growth unlikely to exceed 1%.

The global economy has been in a tailspin because of the coronavirus.
15:23
Coronavirus testing gets underway in Cape Town, Paarl gets its own triage centre 

Urgent screening for the novel coronavirus has begun in priority sites across the Western Cape.

Provincial Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo kicked off the campaign this morning in Mbekweni, Paarl, in the Cape Winelands.

The testing will take place in a new field hospital facility, named a "Testing and Triage Centre", by the Western Cape Government Health Department.

As of Monday afternoon, the Western Cape accounted for 454 infections and two deaths.
15:05

Coronavirus wrap | Spain's 'Delivery for Heroes', US targets scammers, and Rwanda ministers get a pay-cut to help in fight


The global demand for hand sanitisers and other hygiene products has risen because of the coronavirus pandemic.


And, in the United States and some other countries, there has also been a surge in complaints about profiteering and opportunism.
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