News24.com | LIVE | All the latest Covid-19 news\, cases at 1 749

LIVE | All the latest Covid-19 news, cases at 1 749

2020-04-07 15:00

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 17:12
16:58
International Covid-19 update: EU to put up billions to help countries, Bangladeshis 'denied care'

The EU is to put up 15 billion euros to help poor countries around the world fight the coronavirus epidemic.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's health minister has warned of a huge spike in coronavirus cases of up to 200 000 within weeks.

As the number of Covid-19 cases increase in Bangladesh, people are said to be being turned away from hospitals. 

And Sweden on Tuesday reported another 114 coronavirus deaths, bringing the total to 591 in a country that has adopted a softer approach to containing the outbreak than some of its European neighbours.
16:51
Top local stories you may have missed: Coronavirus death toll increases, Durban hospital may close more units down 

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has announced another death from Covid-19, and that the number of positive cases has increased to 1 749. The latest victim is a 60-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal who had advanced-stage cancer.

Meanwhile, Mkhize said St Augustine's Hospital, in Durban, may have to close more parts down because of an outbreak there. The hospital closed its emergency unit this week after staff members tested positive.

Meanwhile, News24's investigations team explains how a lie about IT billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates wanting to test a Covid-19 vaccine in Africa exploded on social media across the world over the past two weeks, resulting in widespread outrage on Twitter.

Banks have been handed more than half a trillion rand, around R540 billion, in extra money to work with, reports Business Insider.

What will happen if President Cyril Ramaphosa was to go down with Covid-19 like Boris Johnson? News24’s Pieter du Toit analyses the situation. 
16:44
Zimbabwe doctors sue over 'dire shortage' of protective gear

Zimbabwean doctors have filed a lawsuit aimed at compelling the government to beef up coronavirus protection for public hospitals and healthcare workers.

The doctors, according to a statement on Tuesday by country's human rights lawyers, said there was a "dire shortage" of ventilators, oxygen tanks, biohazard suits and N95 facemasks.
16:33
German woman, 101, escapes old age home during coronavirus lockdown to visit daughter

A 101-year-old woman crept out of an old people's home in a bid to get to visit her daughter on her birthday, German police said Tuesday.

Officers intercepted her after she had escaped via an emergency exit at the home in northern Germany.
16:22

The Reserve Bank has freed up half a trillion rand as Covid-19 relief loans

Banks have been handed more than half a trillion rand, around R540 billion, in extra money to work with, Business Insider reports. 

But there are caveats: leakages in the system, the length of the crisis, and the state of individual banks' underlying books will all help to determine exactly how much money will become available to consumers and businesses.
15:53
SA can brace itself for jobs slump after lockdown

South Africa may lose about 370 000 jobs this year as a result of the national lockdown and initiatives to stop the spread of the coronavirus, according to a forecast by the Reserve Bank.

This comes as South Africa is already battling to reduce its record-high unemployment rate of 29.1%, as well as weak business confidence and an ever-increasing sovereign debt burden. 
15:40
Zweli Mkhize announces increase in death toll, Durban hospital may close more parts down because of outbreak

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has announced another death from Covid-19, and that the number of positive cases has increased to 1 749.

The latest victim is a 60-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal who had advanced-stage cancer.

Meanwhile, Mkhize said St Augustine's Hospital, in Durban, may have to close more parts down because of an outbreak there. The hospital closed its emergency unit this week after staff members tested positive.

Mkhize said  66 people tested positive over the past few days at the hospital. Approximately 48 of them are staff. 

He said the hospital will soon be fumigated, and that specialists have been assigned there. “We must now trace all the contacts. It is a matter of serious concern and we are dealing with it,” he was quoted as saying. 

He was speaking in Johannesburg at the Motsepe Foundation.

The foundation had donated about 200 000 surgical masks to the department, which Mkhize said should last about eight weeks.

Mkhize noted that a number of patients who are being treated are slowly recovering. Mass testing has also started in all provinces.

Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize. (Getty Images)
15:17
One more person has died from coronavirus, and the number of cases has jumped to 1 749

The death toll now stands at 13, the latest patient a 60-year-old male from KwaZulu-Natal who was suffering with stage-four cancer. 
15:14
How a lie about Bill Gates and a vaccine for the coronavirus exploded on Twitter

News24's investigations team explains how a lie about IT billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates wanting to test a Covid-19 vaccine in Africa exploded on social media across the world over the past two weeks, resulting in widespread outrage on Twitter.

Our research suggests that it started with several false Facebook posts in France, before it was imported to our shores, helped along by several influential Twitter accounts. On Saturday, a News24 story, which has since been retracted, gave the false narrative impetus.
15:00
Coronavirus wrap | Boris Johnson not on a ventilator, Japan ends the Olympic flame, US lawmakers call for probe into supplies, and hard borders between Finland and Sweden
14:57
Ramaphosa summons Ndabeni-Abrahams. SA braces for jobs slump. Here is a wrap of some of our latest domestic news:

President Cyril Ramaphosa has summoned Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, the minister of communications, telecommunications and postal services to discuss a picture of her at a dinner party over the weekend.

The Motsepe Foundation hands over a consignment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize, to be distributed in the nine provinces of South Africa.

South Africa may lose about 370 000 jobs this year as a result of the national lockdown and initiatives to stop the spread of the coronavirus, according to a forecast by the Reserve Bank.
14:41
ANALYSIS: What will happen if Cyril Ramaphosa, like Boris Johnson, is felled by Covid-19?

Deputy President David Mabuza will become acting president if President Cyril Ramaphosa takes ill, if he contracts the coronavirus like British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has done. His ascension to the top job could change the country's whole political dynamic, writes Pieter du Toit.
13:45

BREAKING: Ramaphosa summons Ndabeni-Abrahams after lunch pic goes viral

President Cyril Ramaphosa has summoned Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, the minister of communications, telecommunications and postal services to discuss a picture of her at a dinner party over the weekend.

He told journalists after visiting the national water command centre at Rand Water in Johannesburg the government is trying to convince South Africans to take the coronavirus seriously and that the national lockdown seeks to limit the spread of the virus.

"I have seen the picture of Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams sitting at a luncheon with friends and have asked her to come and see me, so that we can discuss the impact of visuals like these. What we are trying, what we want to do...we want to instill a clear message about social distancing, that you must stay at home and don't go around on visitations," Ramaphosa said.
13:43
Ralph Mathekga: Ending SA's Covid-19 lockdown too soon 'will be a death warrant for many'

If we succeed in containing the virus in the 21-day period, the only way for us to protect the gains we would have made, is to retain some restrictions while relaxing others, writes Ralph Mathekga.
13:18

Santaco to compensate taxi drivers. City of Joburg issues permits to informal traders. WhatsApp announces new limits on message forwarding. Here is a wrap of some of our latest domestic and international news:

Santaco says that - through the relief fund - it will ensure that drivers are compensated with R250 a day.

The City of Johannesburg has commenced issuing permits to informal food traders following the amendment of Covid-19 lockdown regulations.

A new website, masks4sa.co.za, aims to spread the message that homemade masks can help curb the spread of Covid-19 and lower the rate of infection.

SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo has missed out on an opportunity to work with managers like Jose Mourinho, David Moyes and Roy Hodgson as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

WhatsApp announced new limits on message forwarding in an apparent effort to slow the spread of viral misinformation around Covid-19.
13:02
Coronavirus wrap | State of emergency in Japan, Duterte extends Philippines' lockdown, and Australians flown home from cruise ship
12:21
Kolisi Foundation aides PE, Cape Town hospitals in coronavirus fight

In a video posted to Instagram on Monday, Rachel Kolisi confirmed that the foundation had secured over 5 000 litres of hand sanitiser and over 3 000 reusable masks.

Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth and Khayelitsha Hospital in Cape Town have benefited from the initiative already.
11:21
The Ministry of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation has been tasked with a responsibility of ensuring that there is water for all communities in order to flatten the curve and to stop the spread of the virus.
11:13
The latest in South African news:

The man who posted a video on virus-testing is waiting to appear in Cape Town Magistrate's Court.

Various governmental ministries and departments of health were sent an urgent letter and science-based white paper from Humane Society International-Africa (HSI) calling for immediate action to ban wildlife trade, transport and consumption - particularly of mammals and birds which are known to contract coronaviruses - in order to address the threat they pose to public health in addition to animal welfare and species conservation.  

South Africa is gearing up for the fight against Covid-19 as healthcare workers face a race against time to prepare for the inevitable onslaught.
11:02
Coronavirus wrap | Signs of hope for New York, Amazon cut off from the world, and fear grips crowded prisons
10:47
WATCH | Clapping and cheers echo through city as Capetonians thank SA's essential staff

At 20:00 sharp, almost like clockwork, appreciative cheers and clapping can be heard across many a neighbourhood in the country, as South Africans give their thanks to those working on the frontlines during the lockdown. 
10:27
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.
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