Govt allocates R6 billion more for special R350 Covid-19 grant

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu revealed in response to a written parliamentary question from Freedom Front Plus MP Tamarin Breedt that the initial allocation for the R350 grant from May to October was R3 457 696 700. 

Breedt wanted details on whether her department has made any additional resources and/or funding available to assist with the growing number of applicants for the grant.

The question was posed in light of the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ruling that extended the Social Relief of Distress Grant to asylum seekers and special permit holders.

SA Rugby aiming for mid-September return for local rugby

Only limited people will be allowed to attend games as part of essential services to make these events possible and from within a "bio safe environment".

"Since the start of this pandemic, we have been working hard at ensuring we get back on the field and we’ve kept the government informed on our plans throughout the process," said Roux.

Govt aware of economic harm of cigarette sale ban - but will lift when safe, court told

The minister has indicated that the aim of the ban is to stop people smoking so that they do not get Covid-19 in a more severe form, leading to more ICU beds being needed and potentially over-burdening the health system during the pandemic.

"Government has demonstrated a gradual easing of restrictions and will lift the ban entirely as soon as it be done safely," Advocate Andrew Breitenbach SC said in court on Thursday.

Covid-19 corruption: Ramaphosa appoints Cabinet committee to deal with tenders

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a six-member Cabinet committee to deal with all allegations of corruption related to Covid-19 procurement. 

In a leaked letter to ministers, Ramaphosa said following Wednesday's Cabinet meeting, he had appointed the committee which would be chaired by Justice Minister Ronald Lamola. 

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the ban on alcohol will be reconsidered when there is less strain on health facilities.

Mkhize said he spoke to a doctor in an intensive care unit who said that since the ban the number of trauma cases dropped and it has made it easier for doctors to work.

When the pressure for beds is not so threatening to the lives of people the ban will be reconsidered.

"We haven’t come to that point yet," Mkhize said.

"We are dealing with the lives of people, let’s focus on that as South Africans."

'Thieves were waiting at the door': Mboweni ends emergency PPE procurement

National Treasury has ended the emergency procurement process for Personal Protective Equipment and protective clothing, saying it's back to business as usual for government suppliers.

No sooner had Treasury announced the Covid-19 budget, than thieves were already assembled at the door, waiting to steal, said Finance Minister Tito Mboweni.

The minister made the remarks at a briefing along with Treasury Director-General Dondo Mogajane on Wednesday. 

ANALYSIS | Has the virtual Parliament done its job?

Over the past four months, Parliament has had to change the way it does its work due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

To continue its work, it went online, like many other legislatures across the world, and held committee meetings through virtual conferencing and hybrid sittings.

The second term came to an end on Tuesday, when the National Council of Provinces passed the adjustment budget.

Covid-19: Understanding immunity and what it means for a vaccine

Immunity to Covid-19 is much more interesting and much more complicated than simply something you do or do not have.

Immunity, according to Head of Immunology at the University of Cape Town, Professor Clive Gray, refers to some level of protection, be it natural or by way of a vaccine. Naturally, our bodies are already equipped to fight off acute viral infections like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease Covid-19, through a combination of innate and adaptive immune responses. 

Gambia coronavirus cases surge over 60% in last 7 days

Authorities attributed the rise to people relaxing their guard on protective measures that had so far kept Gambia's case total the lowest in Africa. 

Coronavirus cases in Gambia, mainland Africa's smallest country, have surged over 60% in the last seven days to nearly 800 cases, health ministry data showed on Wednesday.

The health ministry said six people who were confirmed cases are still at large, while two other positive cases have fled from a treatment centre in the capital.

Will extended lockdown prove beneficial to Boks, SA rugby?

A surge in injuries in Super Rugby Aotearoa has seen questions raised over New Zealand's rushed return to play. In South Africa, professional franchises have not yet started taking contact at training.

In South Africa, where the coronavirus crisis has demanded far more drastic government regulation, professional franchises are still training in groups of no more than five players at a time, with no contact allowed. 

There is currently no confirmed date regarding a return to play in South Africa, with a Currie Cup that could start in September the likeliest avenue. 

For the first time, Facebook removed a Trump post because of 'harmful Covid misinformation'

For the first time, Facebook has completely removed a post by US president Donald Trump for violating its policies against Covid-19 misinformation.

"This video includes false claims that a group of people is immune from Covid-19 which is a violation of our policies around harmful Covid misinformation," a Facebook spokesperson told Business Insider.

FEEL GOOD | One of SA’s oldest Covid-19 survivors, 103, eager to get walking again

She is currently recovering at home, where, aside from having her meals prepared for her, she continues to take care of herself.

Cape Town mom turning 111, son hoping for a PPE-clad, physically-distanced visit

"My mother will leave us due to loneliness, not illness nor old age," said David Wolpe wistfully, as he hopes for permission to visit on behalf of her scattered family, with her daughter, Janet, living in Australia now. 

Coronavirus morning update: 'Perverse justification' for cigarette ban, and latest on PPE tenders

Cigarette sales ban based on "perverse justification", court hears during British American Tobacco SA's challenge; and Cosatu says Covid PPE corruption is a "horror story"

South Africa has recorded 8 559 new coronavirus cases bringing the total to 529 877.

With 414 new deaths, the number of fatalities now stand at 9 298.

The number of recoveries currently stands at 377 266 which translates to a recovery rate of 71%.

Here are some of our top stories:

Gauteng health department fails to publish daily Covid-19 statistics

The Gauteng Department of Health has not published daily statistics since Sunday, saying this is due to the number of recoveries which are still being validated.

In a statement on Sunday, the department said,"as part of ensuring the reliability of the statistics released to the public, the Gauteng Department of Health from time to time audits its data" as part of the data harmonisation process and as a result, could not publish the statistics.

Alcohol ban should not be lifted just yet - DA's Makashule Gana at odds with party's position

DA chairperson of the provincial legislatures network in Gauteng, Makashule Gana, says he disagrees with the party's stance on the lifting of the alcohol ban. 

Responding to questions during his virtual talk show, named Makashule Unscripted, Gana said the situation in hospitals had not stabilised enough to allow for the lifting of the ban. 

'Thieves were waiting at the door': Mboweni ends emergency PPE procurement

National Treasury has ended the emergency procurement process for Personal Protective Equipment and protective clothing, saying it's back to business as usual for government suppliers.

Going forward, full details of companies who have been awarded tenders will also be published to increase transparency.

WATCH | Frere Hospital doctors and nurses spread cheer with dazzling dance challenge

It's not every day that you see a group of doctors and nurses dancing up a storm in their masks, uniforms and scrubs.

Staff at Frere Hospital in East London have won over the hearts of the public after showing off some of their impressive dance moves during a surprise participation in the worldwide Jerusalema Dance Challenge phenomenon.

Researchers looked at which age group coped better mentally with the pandemic - this is what they found

No one in the world – or even people in your community – is experiencing the pandemic the same way.

Factors like age, social importance, job, finances and health vulnerabilities can make it a smoother ride for some and worse for others – but it's safe to say that you'd be hard-pressed to find someone that isn't suffering in some way due to the coronavirus. 

'Do you really need to party?' WHO asks world's youth

Young people must curb their party instincts to help prevent new outbreaks of the Covid-19 disease, officials at the World Health Organization (WHO) pleaded on Wednesday.

Tired of lockdowns and eager to enjoy the northern hemisphere summer, young people in some countries have been contributing to resurgences by gathering again for parties, barbecues and holidays.

Even in Geneva, where the global UN health body is based, cabarets and clubs were closed last week after evidence that nearly half of new cases were coming from there.

Cigarette sales ban based on 'perverse justification', court hears

Advocate Alfred Cockrell SC said the ban was aimed at reducing the occupation of intensive care unit (ICU) beds by smokers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, he argued, based on what Minister of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma alleged in her court documents, just 10 – 15% of the country's smokers will likely quit due to the ban because of the high price of illicit cigarettes.

Calling it a "perverse justification", Cockrell said the minister had not at any point said what would be done to stop people from purchasing illicit cigarettes.

Makeshift parking lot clinic: Senior officials suspended at KZN hospital after man died

The medical and nursing managers at Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg have been suspended, according to Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu.

The CEO, who was on sick leave for two weeks, was "redeployed" to her original position as a maternal health specialist.

Covid-19 tender corruption a 'horror story' – Cosatu

SA's procurement system is "fundamentally flawed" and has created holes for suppliers to defraud the state, says Cosatu.

Cosatu's parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks on Wednesday, issued the federation's report on personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement, ahead of Finance Minister Tito Mboweni and Treasury's address to parliament on the same matter, due this afternoon.

"Unfortunately, the problems we identify in this report are not unique to lockdown. But they are much more pronounced currently during lockdown," Cosatu's report read.

ICU mortality reduced by at least 25% since the introduction of dexamethasone - Mkhize

South Africa has benefitted from various treatment developments that have led to a reduction in the mortality rate, as Covid-19 infections surge countrywide.

"Our indications are that there has already been an improvement in the survival rate from intensive care units [ICU], where the mortality has been reduced demonstrably. One study shows ICU mortality has been reduced by about 25% since the introduction of dexamethasone on 16 June," Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said during a virtual Covid-19 briefing on Wednesday.

Experts no longer expect seasonal Covid-19 waves: It's like 'a fire looking for human wood to burn'

Many experts have predicted that the coronavirus - like the seasonal flu - would retreat in summer months before roaring back in a second, more severe wave during autumn and winter months. 

But epidemiologists are now eschewing that idea.

"Even though it's a respiratory virus, and even though respiratory viruses in the past did tend to do this, you know, different seasonal waves, this one is behaving differently," said World Health Organisation spokesperson Margaret Harris. 

WATCH | Tough Cookies: Cookie company back in the mix, trying to avoid crumbling under Covid-19

The industrial floor at Khayelitsha Cookies, once a hive of activity with mixing bowls, churning ovens and over 80 bakers, went close to silent during lockdown. 

Operations were reduced from five to two days per week, which meant that all of the staff could be retained, but were earning less.

Managing director Adri Williams said major retail partners, Purity and Clicks and the support of the public's small orders kept the business from folding. 

It's possible that SA could experience a second surge of coronavirus cases - Zweli Mkhize

The real risk of experiencing a "second wave" of coronavirus cases remains, so containment measures must not be abandoned, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Wednesday.

"We are not out of the woods yet. Until we are completely safe, we will keep reviewing restrictions and, if necessary, certain restrictions will still remain in place," Mkhize said.

Mkhize said South Africa had gone beyond the half-a-million mark of confirmed Covid-19 cases. On Tuesday, night, he announced a cumulative total of 521 318 infections.

Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has appointed a team led by Professor Taole Mokoena to conduct an urgent investigation into allegations of health care workers contracting Covid-19 in the line of duty, due to lack or poor quality of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The minister’s appointment of a team follows reports that a doctor died at George Mukhari Academic Hospital due to Covid-19 related illness.

"We have even received reports that some [healthcare workers] may be dying after being infected due to the lack of sufficient PPE or due to sufficient PPE not being provided and/or failure or neglect by management to adhere to prescribed workplace safety protocols.

"We want to outrightly state that this cannot be tolerated," said Mkhize.

Mokoena together with other medical, nursing and legal professionals, will conduct an urgent investigation and provide Mkhize with a report within 14 days from the commencement date.

The report, Mkhize said, "will provide me with independent findings and recommendations. These will also be communicated publicly."

The first team of experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO), who will assist South Africa in its fight against Coronavirus, is set to arrive in the country today.

A total of 43 senior experts from across the globe, including renowned specialists Dr David Heymann (a seasoned infectious disease epidemiologist and public health expert) and Dr Mike Ryan, are among the team that will assist the country to refine its efforts against the pandemic.

"Dr Mike Ryan will lead the team from Geneva and will... provide us with constant advice while analysing our strategies, including the decisions we have taken as the Department of Health in our Covid-19 response," said Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

The first 17 experts will touch down on South African soil today and will complete a period of quarantine and initiation before being deployed within the department and across various provinces.

OPINION | Cyril Ramaphosa is nothing more than a government spokesperson

Right now he is the guy who goes into the council and scribbles notes to read to the nation.

In Cabinet and in the national coronavirus command council he is just one of the people who turn up to listen and contribute, not as a leader but as a follower. There is no sense that he leads either structure, something that he proudly puts down to his being a consensus-style leader.

So all that leaves Ramaphosa as nothing more than a government spokesperson.

A factory behind the famous Madiba shirt now makes 2.5 million masks per month instead

The famous Madiba shirt is no longer being made at Lontana Apparel in Cape Town. The factory has shifted to making only face masks.

While its shirts used to sell for a premium – well over R2,000 per shirt for some designs – it is now churning out masks at around R20 each for reusables.

OPINION | Ramaphosa is right: It's not in his hands, it's in ours

Everyone is incensed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, it seems. Opinionistas are disappointed, Twitter is angry, and even the once-hopeful analysts are exasperated.

This collective annoyance with the president is another brick laid in the building expectations that are not democratic in nature.

OPINION | A woman's touch: The type of leadership we need during the pandemic

We need more women in leadership positions to show what empathetic and inclusive leadership, which has had a better success rate in dealing with this Covid crisis, looks like, writes Melanie Verwoerd.

The question is: What was unique to women's leadership styles that reaped so much more success.

Researchers have pointed to a number of factors: Firstly, women leaders spoke frankly and openly about the danger of the pandemic. 

The hard struggle for this PE son to get his Covid-19 positive mom admitted to packed hospitals

A Port Elizabeth man watched his Covid-19 positive mother coughing intensely, laying in their car after he attempted to get her admitted at two packed private hospitals in the Eastern Cape.

He said his mom started experiencing severe coughing spasms and he decided to take her to Greenacres Hospital on advice of their family doctor.

Nom Chong drove his mother to Greenacres Hospital while she was lying down in the vehicle, experiencing intense coughing spasms.

Global coronavirus deaths exceed 700 000: One person dies every 15 seconds on average

The global death toll from Covid-19 surpassed 700 000 on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, with the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico leading the rise in fatalities.

Nearly 5 900 people are dying every 24 hours from Covid-19 on average, according to Reuters calculations based on data from the past two weeks.

That equates to 247 people per hour, or one person every 15 seconds.

The United States and Latin America are the new epicentres of the pandemic and both are struggling to curb the spread of the virus.

 - REUTERS

The country now has  521 318 coronavirus cases after 4456 infections have been reported.

345 new deaths take the total number of fatalities to 8 884.

The number of recoveries currently stands at 363 751 which translates to a recovery rate of 69,8%.