More than 700 virus deaths in US in 24 hours - Johns Hopkins

Washington – The United States has recorded another 734 coronavirus-related fatalities in the last 24 hours, bringing the country's death toll to 115 347, according to a tally on Saturday by Johns Hopkins University.

The world's top economy is the most affected by the pandemic in absolute terms, with both the highest number of deaths and the largest number of infections – 2 071 782 at 20:30 on Saturday (00:30 GMT Sunday), a tracker maintained by the Baltimore-based university showed.

The US continues to register around 20 000 new cases of coronavirus each day, and is struggling to come down from that plateau as infection rates wax and wane around the country.

"It's important that we remember that this situation is unprecedented. And that the pandemic has not ended," Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Friday.

President Donald Trump's administration allows that there are new flare-ups in coronavirus caseloads in some states, but insists there will be no shutdown of the economy if a second full-blown wave arises.

 - AFP

OPINION | The only constant is change: How businesses can survive Covid-19 

Andrew Smith, the CEO of South Africa's well-known kitchen and homeware store, Yuppiechef, says that from the moment the national lockdown was announced, things happened quickly at the business – or rather, even faster than usual.

The company had to close their physical shops and stop trading online, only to discover a few days into the lockdown that there was, in fact, demand for certain products that could be sold under lockdown.

So they geared up to start selling a whole new line of goods including cleaning products, food and beverages. 

Covid-19: How at risk are people with obesity? Q&A with the Medical Research Council 

South Africa's Covid-19 capital, the Western Cape, showed President Cyril Ramaphosa this month that obesity was one of the most prevalent comorbidities in its hundreds of deaths. Only diabetes, hypertension and HIV were more regularly cited as co-killers. 

But obesity may be as dangerous as a pre-condition, because it is not only a risk in and of itself, but also a potential cause of diabetes and hypertension. 

The Western Cape's Department of Health told Ramaphosa that available data thus far showed that 65% of deaths were a result of two or more comorbidities. And a study of global reports suggests obesity is regularly among them. 

Covid-19 cases surge as schools reopen

They roamed the streets, some with masks, some without.

The pupils were from Mpontsheng Secondary School in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, which was shut down on Wednesday because of a suspected case of Covid-19.

By Thursday, 54 schools had to be closed in Gauteng and 56 Covid-19-positive cases were confirmed.

China reports 57 new virus cases, highest daily count since April 

Beijing – China reported 57 new cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, the highest daily figure since April, as concerns grew about a resurgence of the disease.

The domestic outbreak in China had been brought largely under control through strict lockdowns that were imposed early this year – but a new outbreak has been linked to a meat and vegetable market in south Beijing.

The National Health Commission (NHC) said 36 of the new cases were domestic infections in the capital. The other two domestic infections reported on Sunday were in northeastern Liaoning province, and local health officials said they were close contacts of the Beijing cases.

The alert was sounded after the NHC confirmed the first cases in Beijing for two months on Friday and city officials delayed the return of students in primary schools that had not already resumed classes.

Several of the new cases were linked to the Xinfadi wholesale market, and more cases connected with the market emerged Saturday after wider testing.

The market was closed and AFP reporters saw hundreds of police officers – many wearing masks and gloves – and dozens of paramilitary police deployed there on Saturday.

The new cluster of domestic infections has prompted fresh lockdowns with people ordered to stay home in 11 residential estates near to the market.

 - AFP

Stop mass Covid-19 testing now - irate scientists to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize 

A senior member of the Covid-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) has accused the country's health leadership of refusing to change its mass testing strategy in the face of serious resource constraints and a large testing backlog, even though scientists have repeatedly advised that an urgent rethink is needed.

Professor Francois Venter, head of the Ezintsha health unit at the University of the Witwatersrand and a member of the MAC, says he and other scientists cannot fathom why health authorities are sticking to a testing strategy which is not producing the necessary results.

Until now, the Covid-19 strategy – defended by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize in an interview on Friday - involves testing patients referred from a mass screening programme, which has seen more than 180 000 people referred for Covid-19 tests so far. According to Mkhize, this has enabled the department to identify hotspots which would now be targeted with more resources, including priority testing.

But Venter and others have for weeks argued that, due to severe resource constraints, leading to low turnaround times from sample collection to results, tests should be reserved for hospitalised patients and healthcare workers.

SA citizen 'desperate' to come back home after being quarantined on a ship since March 

A South African man who has been quarantined on a ship since 14 March says he is desperate to return home in order to spend time with his ailing grandfather.

"We are desperate to get home, despite the cruise liner taking very good care of us," Pieter van Schalkwyk told News24 on Thursday. 

"My grandfather is very sick and all I want is one last time to see him or spend time with him. I am very frustrated with my government who has not been very helpful in repatriating its citizens." 

Van Schalkwyk said he knows of a number of South Africans on two vessels outside Southampton, England.  

Coronavirus morning update: Latest on Gauteng schools, and cybercriminals exploiting lockdown 

Some Gauteng schools apply to phase in more grades; while more than 50 closed after positive cases; and hackers shifted their focus with many people working from home.

The Covid-19 death toll has hit 1 423, while the number of cases now sits at 65 736.

The total number of recoveries is now 36 850.

Here are today’s top stories

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed concern over a “surge” in gender-based violence since the start of lockdown Level 3. His comments come after a woman’s body was found dumped in Dobsonville, Soweto. Ramaphosa is deploying ministers to meet with community leaders to discuss Covid-19 and violence under lockdown.

Activist organisation Equal Education, along with two school governing bodies, have taken the Department of Basic Education to court to get the department to feed eligible pupils in all grades, irrespective of whether they’ve resumed classes.

Schools are still battling under Covid-19, with 67 Gauteng schools now being closed due to Covid-19 cases, infrastructure issues and vandalism. Meanwhile, more than 300 schools in the province have applied to phase in more grades allowed back. Only grades 12 and 7 are allowed as things stand.

The tourism sector is expecting a jobs bloodbath if the sector is allowed to more widely operate by September. The industry is suffering severely under lockdown restrictions, and, worst case scenario, could bleed 197 million jobs globally.

If the lockdown has meant you’ve been working from home, it is possible for you to get a tax break. Business Insider shows you how to go about applying for this.

Premier League fans are using Zoom to link up together to watch soccer games, and some clubs are looking to use cardboard cut-outs to fill empty stadiums. Sport24 has the lowdown on how European soccer is playing matches during lockdown.

Stay informed with News24

Special report | Faces of lockdown
Talking point | How does the economic fallout under Covid-19 affect my pension?
Stay safe | Advice for keeping safe in supermarkets, schools and on public transport
FAQs | News24 answers all your questions
Checklist | These are the first symptoms
Rolling coverage | All the latest Covid-19 news in one place

- Compiled by Kerushun Pillay

Tshwane Emergency Services station in Silverton closed following confirmed Covid-19 case

The Tshwane Emergency Services Department Station 4 in Silverton has been temporarily closed after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.

According to a statement from the City of Tshwane, the staff member decided to get tested and went into isolation after a family member in his household tested positive for the virus.

The staff member received his test results on Friday afternoon, confirming that had also contracted the virus.

Basic Education department taken to court over feeding eligible school children in all grades

Equal Education (EE) and the school governing bodies (SGBs) of two Limpopo schools on Friday launched an urgent court application against the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and provincial education departments to compel the departments to provide meals for pupils.

The organisations are challenging what they say is "the current failure to roll-out the National Schools Nutrition Programme (NSNP) to all learners".

OPINION: Covid-19 is a chance to talk about death

In the midst of the current health crisis, and a time of medical resource rationing, we mustn't lose sight of the need for honest communication about dying, writes Shivani Ranchod.

The Covid-19 crisis cuts deeply, not just because of the spectre of widespread illness and death, but also because the global response goes to the heart of what it means to be a human being.

How do we sustain human connection when we are in self-isolation? Is preventing contagion more important than holding the hand of a loved one as they leave this world?

Western Cape neighbourhood watches to resume, but restricted to 20 patrollers

Neighbourhood watches will be used to promote social distancing in public places in targeted Covid-19 hotspots in the Western Cape.

This will from part of a programme that will see a maximum of 20 neighbourhood watch members deployed at a time, according to information provided at a briefing on Saturday.

At the briefing with neighbourhood watch members in Khayelitsha, the Western Cape Department of Community Safety communicated the roll-out of the neighbourhood watch programme in response to the pandemic and committed to support neighbourhood watches operating in Covid-19 hotspots.

Parts of Beijing under lockdown again due to fresh virus concerns

Dozens of people tested positive for the coronavirus in Beijing as parts of the city were locked down Saturday after the emergence of a new cluster linked to a wholesale food market.

People were ordered to stay home at 11 residential estates in south Beijing's Fengtai district and the nearby Xinfadi market was closed as authorities raced to contain the outbreak that has fuelled fears of a resurgence in local transmission.

Most of the six new domestic infections reported on Saturday were linked to the meat and vegetable market, health officials said, which provides much of the capital's food supply.

Official news agency Xinhua reported at least one of the cases was "severe". But another 45 asymptomatic cases - which China counts separately - were detected after mass testing of nearly 2 000 workers at the market on Friday, city health official Pang Xinghuo later told reporters.

Another worker tested positive at a farmers' market in the city's northwestern district of Haidian - a close contact of one of the confirmed cases linked to Xinfadi.

Beijing's first Covid-19 case in two months, announced Thursday, had visited Xinfadi market and had no recent travel history outside the city.

- AFP 

67 Gauteng schools closed due to Covid-19 cases, infrastructure issues

According to the province's premier David Makhura and the Gauteng Coronavirus Command Council, as of Thursday 54 schools had been affected by 56 cases reported in districts across the province. This had increased from 43 schools affected by 45 Covid-19 cases on Tuesday.

During a briefing on Friday, Makhura said a number of schools still remained closed due to infrastructure issues – specifically the supply of water and the availability of ablution facilities – as well as those affected by positive Covid-19 cases.

On Thursday, 13 schools did not open after schools reopened on Monday 8 June due to infrastructure issues and vandalism, Makhura said.

'Surge' in gender-based violence during lockdown Level 3, says Ramaphosa

South Africa has among the highest levels of intimate partner violence in the world, with 51% of women experiencing violence in a relationship.

Ministers will be engaging with community leaders on gender-based violence during Covid-19 interventions.

Mboweni will struggle to raise government revenue - experts

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has very few options left to raise much-needed government funds, experts say.

Bicycle delivery service hits the road just in time for lockdown in Langa township

Cloudy Deliveries is a bicycle delivery service that has been operating in Langa, Cape Town, since the beginning of this year.

The small business was started by law student Colin Mkosi, who employs a fleet of 11 local high school boys to operate the deliveries.

OPINION | In a whirlwind 2020, can South African government bonds come out on top?

The turmoil in global financial markets during the first quarter of the year following the rapid spread of Covid-19 as well as the sudden plunge in oil prices caused havoc in fixed income markets across the globe.

MONEY CLINIC: How does the economic fallout from Covid-19 affect my pension?

A Fin24 reader noticing a negative investment return on his pension fund seeks the advice of an expert on how Covid-19 and the state of the economy affects his investment.

Tourism sector warns of massive job losses if travel only reopens widely by September

New scenario models by the World Travel & Tourism Council indicate up to 197 million job losses if the industry is only widely opened again by September.

Covid-19: 'Her wings were ready but our hearts were not' – schoolmate bids farewell to friend

The novel coronavirus has claimed a daughter, wife, mother, sister, cousin and friend in Sasja Faro.

"Her wings were ready, but our hearts were not," her childhood friend, Charlene Schaff Jacobs, said.

Coronavirus morning update: 100 days of Covid-19 in SA, and concerns over North West, Gauteng

Cases are increasing at the highest rate since the outbreak began; two North West municipalities may go back to Level 4; and the pandemic is "gaining momentum" in Gauteng.

The Covid-19 death toll has hit 1 354 after 70 more people were confirmed dead. 

The number of cases has hit 61 927. 

The Western Cape remains the country's epicentre, with about 62% of the total cases. 

There have been 35 008 recoveries.

Hudson High School in East London became the 38th school in the Buffalo City metro to close this week due to a Covid-19 case, the Eastern Cape education department has said.

The metro's education district director, Nomvuselelo Fikeni, said 12 of the 38 schools have been cleared for reopening next week after they were fumigated.

Fikeni added the education had resolved to award the Department of Health custodian rights of schools during the lockdown.

'We're no longer as rich as we once were' - Mboweni hints at zero-based budgeting

Dropping a hint that the government is looking at zero-based budgeting ahead of next week's special budget, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni says the country is no longer as rich as "we once were".

All eyes will be on Mboweni who will deliver an "emergency" budget on 24 June in order to make provision for Covid-19 relief efforts.

Casinos reportedly hope to reopen in July, with every second slot machine turned off

South African casinos believe they'll be able to open their doors to the public again soon, probably within a couple of weeks, though gambling floors may look a little different, Moneyweb reported on Friday.

There "is no reason" why casinos can't open again on 1 July, Tsogo Sun Gaming CEO Chris du Toit told Moneyweb journalist Suren Naidoo.

And there are indications that the government "want the sector to open in July", said Sun International CEO Anthony Leeming.

Parents do not have to sign indemnity forms for their child to return to class, Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said on Friday.

"The [department] does not support the use of such forms, and indemnity forms do not remove legal responsibility from the department," she added in a statement.

"Parents do not have to sign such forms, and their children may not be refused entry to school if they do not sign. Any parent who has been asked to sign such a form should contact their district office immediately."

Two Cape Town labour dept offices close after employees test positive for Covid-19

Covid-19 cases have resulted in the closing of the Mitchells Plain and Nyanga offices of the department of employment and labour until next Wednesday.

This comes after the Cape Town and Vredenburg labour centres were closed due to Covid-19, but have since reopened.

The North West Department of Health is considering taking two municipalities back to Level 4 due to increasing numbers of Covid-19 infections. 

Rustenburg and Matlosana municipalities, where mining activities take place, have recorded a spike in infections.

City Press earlier reported Health MEC Madoda Sambatha said the numbers in North West showed the "direct impact of mining operations" on Covid-19 cases, and emphasised the need for things to be done differently as mining companies brought back most of their employees during Level 3.

Expect more to die from TB and diabetes than Covid-19, says Zweli Mkhize

While Covid-19 is the most talked about virus, TB and diabetes are silent killers that remain the leading causes of natural deaths in South Africa. 

This was said by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize during a media briefing in East London on Friday.

Two Cape Town labour dept offices close after employees test positive for Covid-19

Covid-19 cases have resulted in the closing of the Mitchells Plain and Nyanga offices of the department of employment and labour until next Wednesday.

This comes after the Cape Town and Vredenburg labour centres were closed due to Covid-19, but have since reopened.

Covid-19 restrictions on personal care industry to stay for now as DA court bid postponed

The DA's application to the Western Cape High Court to challenge the prohibition on the personal care industry, which includes hairdressers and beauticians, was postponed on Friday.

DA MP Dean Macpherson said Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma was not ready to proceed.

Lesufi self-isolating after two staff members test positive for Covid-19

Gauteng's Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi is self-isolating after two staff members tested positive for Covid-19, Premier David Makhura revealed on Friday.

The department’s head office in Johannesburg is currently being decontaminated after it was shut down on Wednesday.

INSIGHTS | The first 100 days of Covid-19 in 10 graphs

Graphic representations of reported Covid-19 data can make analysis of the numbers much easier. We take a look at some of the key graphs that map progress in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, and how it has spread.

Covid-19 wrap: US virus hotspots reopen as second wave looms, Ukraine's first lady tests positive

The pandemic has killed at least 421 691 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, according to an AFP tally at 11:00 GMT on Friday, based on official sources.

There have been 7 529 910 cases registered in 196 countries and territories.

Covid-19 pandemic is gaining momentum in Gauteng, says Makhura

Gauteng needs to face the reality that the Covid-19 pandemic is gaining momentum. 

This is the view of the province's premier, David Makhura. 

"The pandemic is gaining momentum in the Gauteng province. This is the critical message that I want to send and we have got to face this reality head on and where there is no compliance. This will undo any gains that we made during the lockdown," he said during a virtual Provincial Coronavirus Command Council (PCCC) briefing on Friday.

Gauteng Department of Education officials and the School Governing Body (SGB) from an Ekurhuleni school had to step in this week after a teacher from the school tested positive for Covid-19 before the school reopened on Monday. 

This after at least 82 staff members including ground staff from Norkem Park High School were unable to return after the educator received the results, SGB chairperson Roy Mkhonza told News24 on Friday.

South Africans are not taking leave in lockdown - and companies are getting worried

With nowhere to go during the national lockdown, many South Africans have cancelled their leave for the winter holiday.

Delhi coronavirus deaths twice as high, say authorities

Deaths from coronavirus in New Delhi are almost twice as high as official figures show, a city leader said, as India overtook Britain with the fourth-highest number of cases worldwide.

With India's lockdown being widely eased, the government has been reporting almost 10 000 new confirmed cases every day with infections totalling almost 300 000, including 8 500 deaths.

Densely populated megacities such as Delhi and Mumbai are the worst affected, stretching hospitals to breaking point.

But data in Delhi is understating the true scale of the outbreak, said Jai Prakash, standing committee head of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, one of the three sub-districts that make up the capital.

Citing data from the city's busy crematoriums and cemeteries, Prakash said Thursday that just over 2 000 people have died from the virus across the city - almost twice the official toll.

- AFP

Gauteng to consider joining call for sale of alcohol to be banned again

Gauteng Premier David Makhura's government will make a decision in the next few days on whether they will support the call for the reinstatement of the alcohol ban.

Tuberculosis and diabetes remain leading cause of natural deaths in SA, not Covid-19 virus - Dr Zweli Mkhize. Tweet from @MaliDayimani

Salons, still closed for lockdown, must now pay all staff bonuses under a bargaining deal

Salons, barber shops, and beauty establishments remain closed for services under Alert Level 3 – but some just became liable for "ex gratia" payments to staff at the end of June.