Almost 1 000 Western Cape residents are in quarantine, Premier Alan Winde announced on Wednesday.

The province has 41 quarantine and isolation facilities - comprising both public and private facilities - housing 948 people.

Transport to and from these sites has been provided by the Red Dot transport service which the provincial government pioneered.

It consists of a 100-strong fleet of specially sterilised minibus taxis.

Dlamini-Zuma on lockdown: Right or wrong, regulation challenge needs to be heard in higher court

The High Court judgment which declared some Level 3 and 4 lockdown regulations invalid, is of profound importance and needs to be assessed by a higher court irrespective of whether it is correct or not.

This was one of the arguments put forward by senior counsel Wim Trengove, acting on behalf of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in her leave to appeal application before the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday.

Madonsela and co: Govt should have considered social impact of Covid-19 regulations

Professor Thuli Madonsela, as part of the Social Justice and Covid-19 Policy and Relief Monitoring Alliance (SCOPRA), has highlighted shortfalls in the implementation of the Disaster Management Act (DMA) during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Department of Basic Education is two weeks away from phasing in other grades but teacher unions are still worried, given what transpired when some grades returned earlier this month.

According to gazetted regulations, Grades R, 1, 2, 3, 6, 10 and 11 are expected to return to school from 6 July followed by Grades 4, 5, 8 and 9 on 3 August. Autistic pupils under the age of 13, as well as final-year students who are 18 and older will also return on 6 July.

But teacher unions say an assessment is needed because some schools, mostly in rural and disadvantaged areas, are still experiencing challenges they encountered when pupils in Grades 7 and 12 went back to school.

The unions say this is evident in the number of reported cases among pupils and teachers which led to school closures across the country for sanitising purposes.

Why vaccines need to be tried and tested in different populations across the world

We cannot only have vaccine development in developed countries, says Professor Helen Rees, as this will put the rest of the world at a great disadvantage.

The race to develop a Covid-19 vaccine continues, and positive news has been doing the rounds this week as the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) is set to embark on the Ox1Cov-19 vaccine trial – the first clinical trial in Africa for a Covid-19 vaccine, Health24 reports.

Speaking at the virtual webinar hosted by the university on Tuesday, Professor Helen Rees, executive director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Unit professor spoke about the importance of Covid-19 vaccine development needing to be a global effort, and stressed that the opportunity to participate in trials must ensure that Africa is not left behind like it was in the past.

EC education dept denies over 200 Covid-19-positive pupils, staff were left stranded outside hotel

The Eastern Cape Department of Health has denied social media reports that 204 pupils and staff - who tested positive for Covid-19 at Makaula Secondary School - were left stranded outside a hotel on Tuesday night.

Department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said the reports were a gross exaggeration and deliberate attempt to agitate the public.

Covid-19 wrap: 477 570 worldwide deaths, crisis sinks global economy and UK experts warn of second wave

- Coronavirus toll at 11:00 GMT Wednesday

- Covid-19 crisis sinks global economy in 2020, collapsing GDP 4.9% - IMF

- Call for mandatory masks as Iran virus toll nears 10 000

SA economy to contract to worst level in 90 years

South Africa will record its worst economic performance since the Great Depression with Treasury projecting a contraction of 7.2% because of the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the already weak economic environment.

During the tabling of the special adjustment budget on Wednesday, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni spoke frankly about the negative impact of the pandemic on the world economy that is set to contract by 5.2% with millions of workers losing their jobs. 

Covid-19: Yet another Eastern Cape school closes after pupil, staffer test positive

West Bank Senior Secondary School in King William's Town closed on Tuesday after a staff member and a Grade 12 pupil tested positive.

The closure was announced by the school's deputy principal KL Biko in a letter to parents on Tuesday.

Since the reopening of schools on 8 June, the provincial government was forced to shut 196 schools due to Covid-19.

Covid-19: SA will probably experience 3 to 4 more spikes into 2022, says top scientist

South Africa is only experiencing the first Covid-19 wave and will probably experience two to three more waves of the pandemic right into 2022, top scientist Professor Shabir Madhi said on Wednesday.

"South Africa is not in a second spike, we are still in the first wave of the pandemic. We are probably going to experience three to four waves, probably right into 2022 at this rate," Madhi said at a virtual briefing on Wednesday.

Emergency budget: Cushion economic blow, political parties tell Mboweni

Political parties have called on Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to table a budget that will help South Africa embrace the impact of a looming economic crisis.

Mboweni will deliver the special emergency budget on Wednesday afternoon. This follows the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa in April that government would spend R500 billion to support the economy as it continues to take a beating while battling the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The failed Covid-19 response in the US continues to snowball

When the coronavirus pandemic took the world by surprise, many countries averted disaster by pursuing swift, unified responses. South Korea implemented widespread testing traced people's contacts to alert those exposed.

Taiwan began isolating every infected patient and launched digital campaigns to disseminate safety information.

The US response, by contrast, was painfully slow.

Swallows FC confirm 3 players test positive for Covid-19

This news comes after three TS Galaxy players were reported to have contracted the coronavirus and were preparing to self-isolate.

Kaizer Chiefs, Stellenbosch and Bloemfontein Celtic have all confirmed positive cases of Covid-19 in their ranks.

Covid-19 cases hit 6 mental health institutions in Gauteng

The Gauteng Department of Health says it is closely monitoring Covid-19 cases at mental health institutions, after three department facilities and three contract facilities recorded multiple cases.

This comes after positive cases have been recorded at three out of the department's four mental health facilities and at three contracted facilities.

Inflation falls to lowest level since 2005 as Covid-19 hits consumer demand

April inflation has eased to 3%, its lowest level in 15 years.

According to data released from Stats SA on Wednesday, annual consumer price inflation is at its lowest level since June 2005, when the rate was 2.8%. 

Analysts had expected it to moderate to around 3.5% from 4.1% in March. 

Judgement has been reserved in the matter. Judge Davis says it will be delivered "shortly".

Before Judge Davis reserved judgement, advocate Trengrove, arguing on behalf of government said it is in the public interest that leave to appeal is granted.

"It is hard to imagine a case with more compelling reasons in the public interest to allow leave to appeal, for the Supreme Court Appeal to determine whether the [original] judgement is correct or whether it is incorrect... both are of profound public importance," said Trengrove.

Covid-19 wrap: Global deaths surge past 475 000, Australia calls in military to help tackle virus

- Global coronavirus death toll surges past 475 000 - AFP tally

- US adds 800 more deaths in 24 hours - Johns Hopkins

- Latin America and Caribbean pass 100 000 Covid-19 deaths

Advocate Reg Willis, SC, for the applicants, Liberty Fighters Network is now addressing the court, opposing Dlamini-Zuma's application for leave to appeal.

Willis argues that there are no compelling reasons for why the judgment needs to be unravelled and considered by a higher court.

Willis further argues that it wasn't necessary for Judge Davis to list each and every regulation if one accepts that its a full frontal attack on the wholesale regulations.

Trengrove now talks about the wholesale declaration, arguing that the finding that some regulations are invalid does not justify an order declaring all of the regulations invalid.

Municipal manager probed over spending of R27m coronavirus budget

The Mpumalanga cooperative governance and traditional affairs department will investigate how a municipal manager in a rural Mpumalanga municipality allegedly appointed himself to be the sole administrator of a R27.3 million Covid-19 coronavirus budget.

Western Cape concerned about its healthcare workers

The Western Cape is "seeing an exponential increase in admissions and deaths". The province is concerned about the well-being of its healthcare workers, and Cogta Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is worried about the number of people in the province who refuse to quarantine.

Covid-19: Tsunami looms as Eastern Cape battles shortage of doctors and nurses, warns professor

A shortage of nurses and doctors, coupled with the health sector's failure to have a coordinated response in the Eastern Cape, has ensured a tsunami wave is on its way, the dean of the Department of Health Sciences at the Nelson Mandela University, Professor Lungile Pepeta, has told News24. 

Dlamini-Zuma filed an application for leave to appeal after the court declared various regulations governing Levels 3 and 4 as unconstitutional and invalid.

Her application will be heard in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria today at 10:00.

'Lockdown dictator' Dlamini-Zuma's reign to end very soon - LFN

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma's "reign as the lockdown dictator will come to an end very soon", according to the Liberty Fighters Network (LFN) as it prepares to head to court over the constitutionality and validity of the lockdown regulations.

Trevor Manuel's tribute to his mom

Philma Manuel died of Covid-19 last week at the age of 94. Her son, former finance minister Trevor Manuel, delivered this tribute at her funeral.

Covid-19: Patients refuse to self-isolate or use state quarantine facilities - deputy health minister

The government said its biggest Covid-19 headache is patients refusing to self-isolate or use state quarantine facilities.Joe Phaahla said on average, out of every 100 positive tested people in the Western Cape, only between 15 and 20% agreed to go into quarantine.

PSL’s plans to resume training have been green-lighted

The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Nathi Mthethwa published gazetted Directions relating to Covid -19 Level 3 Regulations on 28 May 2020, which cover the resumption of sport activities.

The plans of the Premier Soccer League have been approved, considering the mitigation strategies and plans in relation to the Level 3 risk adjusted strategy in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic.

The plans have further been subject to analysis by Health authorities, who have recommended that the measures put in place by the organisation meet and in some instances exceed the required protocol for a safe return to training and to play in a Biologically Safe Environment.

OPINION | Brazil was a better version of SA – until it wasn’t anymore

Brazil could still happen to us. Yes, the lockdown may have slowed the tide. But nothing has changed about our immense vulnerability, writes BI editor Helena Wasserman.

Covid-19 temporarily paralyses Northern Cape doctor, a very rare symptom globally

Initially, Covid-19 had not made him that ill. On one day, he struggled with a nasal drip, a sore throat on another day, lost his sense of smell for three days and then experienced a loss of taste for two days.

According to neurologists who examined Dr Waltie Vermeulen, there are only a handful of cases where temporary spinal cord paralysis developed.

Here's what you can expect in Mboweni's emergency budget

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about an unprecedented turn of events, leaving the Mboweni-led Treasury to find the funds for a R500 billion economic stimulus package.

Covid-19 has had 'severe impact' on readers' personal finance, News24/Ipsos poll finds

A new Ipsos/News24 poll has revealed the dire effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on many News24 readers' finances, with thousands resorting to dipping into their savings to make ends meet and reporting a severe impact on their financial positions.

Coronavirus morning update: More than 2 000 deaths in SA, latest on vaccine trial, and schools

There are now more than 2 000 confirmed deaths in SA; what you need to know about the first SA Covid-19 vaccine trial; and what regulations say on the phased return of pupils.

South Africa has hit the highest number of Covid-19 deaths in a 24-hour cycle since the pandemic hit the country.

"Regrettably, we report a further 111 Covid-19 related deaths- 1 from Mpumalanga, 4 from KwaZulu Natal, 28 from Eastern Cape and 78 from Western Cape. This brings the total deaths to 2102," Health Minister Zweli Mhkize said in a statement.

The cumulative number of confirmed Covid-19 cases is 106 108 with 4 518 new cases identified.

1 382 772 tests have been completed in total of which 29 596 new tests are reported.

Meanwhile, Mkhize also took to Twitter to share some of the milestones reached by the government in South Africa's fight against the deadly coronavirus.

Since the start of the #lockdown, much has been done to ramp up South Africa's healthcare system to respond to #COVID19. Here are some of the things that have been accomplished. #ECVisit23June pic.twitter.com/iGXJ3EmVNq

— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) June 23, 2020

More than 6000 additional medical personnel have been employed to assist in the fight against #COVID19. #ECVisit23June pic.twitter.com/VE22Zp78Ql

— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) June 23, 2020

Government has made significant roads in increasing the country's ventilator capacity for the fight against #COVID19. #ECVisit23June pic.twitter.com/hfYfzOLiyq

— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) June 23, 2020

As at June 23, more than 4000 people are in hospital for #COVID19 and are receiving different levels of treatment. #ECVisit23June pic.twitter.com/ATKvkcEJNO

— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) June 23, 2020

  

The latest statistics from the Gender-based Violence (GBV) Command Centre show that, as regulations were eased through a phased approach, the number of calls to the centre decreased.

As of 19 June, the centre had received a total of 57 660 telephone calls, 7 462 Please Call Mes and 3 110 text messages.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a risk-adjusted strategy earlier this year, which introduced a phased approach to five levels of lockdown that would allow for economic activity to continue while managing Covid-19.

School reopening: 2020 NSC exams to go ahead as planned

The 2020 National Senior Certificate exams will go ahead as planned in November and December this year, according to new directions gazetted on Tuesday which addresses the functioning of schools during Covid-19.

These exams will be subject to the realignment of the timetable for the 2020 revised school calendar, the directions say.

Well-known Eastern Cape senior government spokesperson Gcobani Maswana has died from Covid-19, his family confirmed on Tuesday. He was 52.

Maswana, a seasoned communications practitioner, was the head of the communication division at the provincial social development department in Bhisho.

He had been with the department for 15 years.

Schools reopening under lockdown: What regulations say on the phased return of pupils

The Department of Basic Education has gazetted regulations surrounding schools operating during Covid-19, including dates for the phased return of pupils, as well as guidelines for parents who will not be sending their children back.

Covid-19 wrap: 472 173 global deaths, Iran reports most deaths since April and UK eases restrictions

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 472 173 people since the outbreak emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 11:00 (GMT) on Tuesday.

PSL's long road back to the field remains unclear after 100 days without live action

Despite projections that the accelerating rate of new infections will only reach its peak in mid-July to September, restrictions have been eased with the country now on day 88 of a national lockdown.

The South African Football Association (SAFA), alongside the PSL, have set out in an effort to facilitate the safe return of local soccer, but it is beginning to look an increasingly tall order. 

A Joint Liaison Committee (JLC) including members from both football associations was assembled on 12 May with the task of formulating protocols for the safe return of football.