Covid-19 wrap: World death toll tops 780 000, Pope demands access to virus vaccine for poor

The pandemic has killed at least 781 194 people worldwide since surfacing in China late last year, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Wednesday.

More than 22 million cases have been registered.

The United States has recorded the most deaths with 171 833, followed by Brazil with 109 888, Mexico with 57 774, India with 52 889 and Britain with 41 381.

Gauteng spent R2.1 billion between April and July to fight Covid-19

Gauteng released its Covid-19 Expenditure Disclosure Report, a 30-page document, which consisted mainly of a list of vendors and the amounts they were paid for goods and services.

According to the document, since the pandemic reached South Africa's shores, Gauteng's provincial departments spent a total of R2 112 992 618 on Covid-19 related goods and services - of which 91.78% of the spend (R1 939 319 260) was by the province's health department.

This is because the procurement of Covid-19 PPE items was centralised, according to the report.

Ster-Kinekor will reopen next week - here's what you can expect

Ster-Kinekor will reopen 32 of its cinemas next Friday, 28 August.

Each cinema will be permitted to host 50 patrons per screening room at a time, excluding staff members, while complying with strict safety protocols.  

Patrons who are 60 years and older are discouraged from visiting cinemas.

Local rugby franchises can expect return to contact training imminently

South Africa hasn't hosted a game since mid-March.

onfirmation of local professional rugby's return to contact training is expected on Wednesday.

Jurie Roux, SA Rugby's chief, told a media briefing that an announcement is expected imminently but there's one more hoop to jump through before matches can take place again.

"You'll see an announcement in the next day or so."

The plan remains for a Currie Cup to begin in mid-September though government's announcement of lockdown moving to Level 2 means the federation will have to wait for the raft of new regulations later this week for final protocols to be approved.

SA tourism will soon be doing great, minister says – with no ETA for international flights

The tourism industry in South Africa is facing a bright future, tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said on Wednesday, with investors lining up and, soon, post-pandemic foreign tourists keen to visit SA.

Based on the level of risk, "when we are ready, government will announce when borders will be opened," she said.

Covid-19 could eliminate 197 million travel industry jobs and wipe R95 trillion from the global GDP

Nearly 200 million travel industry jobs could vanish as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a grim new forecast from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

Travel demand has dropped globally during the pandemic, with every region seeing a collapse in tourism business.

Tour operator TUI reported travel was down 81% in Europe from June through the beginning of August, compared to the same period in 2019, according to CNN.

OPINION | From trauma to hope: The return of primary healthcare in a co-Covid world

With Covid, we've had the time to prepare, to isolate, to be angry, to grieve, to accept. But the old attritional war on poverty grinds on, and we're losing that battle badly. We cannot treat Covid in isolation much longer, while the other pathologies that haunt and impoverish our society rage on, writes Andrea Mendelsohn.

Covid-19: The loss of taste, smell, points to neurological underpinnings

Losing your senses of taste and smell is a common symptom of Covid-19 — patients have reported being unable to tell that they're wearing perfume or pick up on the nuance of a well-balanced dish. 

Anyone who's caught a cold or suffered through the flu might think they can relate, since those ailments also tend to make rich scents and layered flavors less accessible and appealing. (Bring home some bland soup, please.)

But a small study published Tuesday describes key differences between the loss of taste and smell that results from each of those viruses, shedding light on how and why this symptom may arise in Covid cases. 

Covid-19: What's the situation in other African countries?

South Africa has the fifth-highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world and makes up 61.7% of Africa's total confirmed cases.

Africa reached the one million Covid-19 cases mark at the beginning of this month, with South Africa remaining fifth in the world and representing 61.7% of Africa's total confirmed cases.

Nigeria, with the second-highest number of confirmed cases in sub-Saharan Africa, has the 50th most cases in the world, with almost 50 000 cases and 977 deaths, followed by Ghana, Algeria, Ethiopia and Kenya.

WHO: 'We are nowhere close' to having the herd immunity needed to stop the coronavirus

Recent reports have suggested that herd immunity may be achieved when as little as 50% of the population is immune. Herd immunity occurs when enough of the population is immune to the coronavirus, either via exposure or vaccine, for transmission to wane.

No more happy hour? You can expect pricier booze, fewer specials at your local bar, tavern

Bars may legally open for business as of Tuesday night, but under conditions – both legal and economic – that some say just aren't viable for them.

And happy hour may be a thing of the past.

Under Level 2 rules, bars and taverns may operate until the 22:00 curfew every night, although their staff also need to get home before that deadline, affecting actual closing times.

We just got the best evidence yet that everyone develops long-term coronavirus immunity after infection

Scientists may have now have an answer to one of the most crucial lingering questions about Covid-19: whether people develop long-term immunity.

An early spate of research suggested that coronavirus antibodies — blood proteins that protect the body from subsequent infections — can fade within months. But in their concern about those findings' implications, many people failed to consider our immune system's multi-layered defence against invading pathogens.

Confirmed Covid-19 positive cases approaching the 600 000 mark, recovery rate now 82%

Operation Data Lockdown: Health dept continues to refuse access to Covid-19 data, MAC advisories

Health department officials are maintaining a stranglehold on Covid-19 data and the scientific advice which the government has relied on to battle the coronavirus. Since May, News24 has repeatedly requested that detailed data around the spread of Covid-19 be made publicly available.

The total number of infections stands at 592 144, while the death toll has hit 12 264.

Deaths: 66 from Eastern Cape, 89 from Gauteng, 57 from KwaZulu-Natal, 3 from Northern Cape, 13 from Free State, and 34 from Western Cape and 20 from North West. 

The recoveries now stand at 485 468 which translates to a recovery rate of 82%.

Here’s what made the headlines on Tuesday

The lifting of sales ban on cigarettes has thrown the illegal market into disarray with lockdown dealers forced to slash their prices, after government gave the sale of tobacco the green light. As the country moved to alert level 2 of the lockdown, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the prohibition on the sale of tobacco, which had been in place since 27 March, would be lifted.

The reopening of the sale of tobacco saw some outlets running out of certain cigarettes brands with smokers reporting trouble finding big-name tobacco brands including Camel, Marlboro, Chesterfield, Dunhill and Peter Stuyvesant.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape government has availed R2.7 million for the construction of a mortuary for Covid-19 cases in Mthatha. Premier Oscar Mabuyane raised concerns over the high mortality rate in the province. He said in the past 24 hours, 70 people died due to Covid-19 in the province.

A court matter to challenge the alcohol ban has been postponed. In a statement, the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai) said before the new regulations, cooperative governance minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s legal team had asked them to withdraw the case.  In light of the lifting of the ban on wine sales, Saai said it intended postponing the application indefinitely.

Government has finally lifted the ban on Airbnb hosting in South Africa Airbnb had to close its operations at the start of the lockdown on 27 March. Airbnb spokesperson said that operators are now able to accept guests in South Africa.

- Compiled by Nokuthula Khanyile      

All alcohol equal? Wine court case on ice after unbanning of liquor sales

In a statement published on its website on Tuesday, Saai said before the new regulations, Dlamini-Zuma's legal team, on Sunday, asked them to withdraw the case.

"Saai refused to have the case struck from the roll in view of the minister's previous promulgation of regulations in contrast with the president's speeches. To Saai it was of cardinal importance to have the wording of the Level 2 regulations studied by its legal team before making any decision," it said in a statement.  

Saai said in "light of the lifting of the draconian ban on wine sales" it intended postponing the application against Dlamini-Zuma indefinitely.

A court order was expected by the end of the week.

Eastern Cape to build R2.7m mortuary as concerns raised over high Covid-19 mortality rate

The province further identified 25 hospitals for bulk tank oxygen supply, with Mabuyane saying oxygen remained a critical resource in saving the lives of Covid-19 patients.

Mabuyane was speaking ahead of his tour of some of 86 hospitals currently undergoing refurbishment to the tune of R594.7m in the Eastern Cape.

Upon completion, the projects, across all six district municipalities and two metros, would guarantee the province 2 458 Covid-19 beds, he said.

Mabuyane said while the province was seeing a steady increase in the recovery rate which was above 90% across all districts, the fatality rate was a concern.

Covid-19: Acting Gauteng Health MEC promises nurses on contract will be paid July salaries

In a statement released on Tuesday, the provincial health department said the MEC's assurance was made after "reports surfaced over the weekend alleging that at least 80 Covid-19 contract nurses at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital had not been paid their July salaries".

"MEC Mamabolo has since directed the department to compile a consolidated report on Covid-19 human resource related issues at all facilities by the end of this week to ensure that health workers are not inconvenienced any further," read the statement.

The lockdown | Perhaps, the financial rehab South African consumers needed?

Some have said that the alcohol ban during the lockdown might have been rehab they needed to deal with their unhealthy relationship with alcohol but Nedbank says it could also be the wake up call South Africans needed to reassess their relationship with credit.

The bank along with the Banking Association of SA (BASA) said they had expectations that credit applications would increase because when the lockdown began as most people were caught off guard, losing their incomes while they had with no emergency savings in place.

Mkhwebane to inspect Gauteng hospitals amid claims of Covid-19 tender irregularities

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane and her deputy Kholeka Gcaleka will turn their focus on inspecting Gauteng hospitals this week

Tourism accommodation income plummets by more than 95%

The devastating impact of the coronavirus lockdown on South Africa's tourism accommodation industry is reflected in the latest statistics released by Statistics SA.

Coronavirus impact on African aviation worse than initially estimated, says IATA

The International Air Transport Association now estimates that job losses in African aviation and related industries could increase to 3.5 million.

Cigarettes are running short everywhere, but most booze is still in on Level 2, Day 1

By early afternoon on Day 1 of South Africa's Alert Level 2, smokers across large swathes of South Africa were reporting trouble finding their preferred big-name tobacco brands, including Camel, Marlboro, Chesterfield, Dunhill, and Peter Stuyvesant.

But other than a handful of complaints relating to specific booze brands, drinkers were not facing the same struggle, and liquor stores said they were easily keeping up with what one described as "strongly enhanced demand".

National vaccine efforts need to fit global approach, says WHO

National supply deals in the event of the development of a successful vaccine against the coronavirus should fit a global approach, World Health Organisation (WHO) senior adviser Bruce Aylward said on Tuesday.

World leaders pledged in late April to accelerate work on tests, drugs and vaccines against Covid-19 and to share them around the globe under a WHO-led initiative known as the ACT (Access to Covid-19 Tools) Accelerator.

- Reuters

'These are not April prices' - Capetonians relieved as cigarette and booze sales resume

- People buying cigarettes legally were relieved to be paying "normal" prices after lockdown regulations were eased.

- Not all shops had full stock yet and the transactions were quick in-and-out affairs, with few queues.

- Liquor store queues were not as long as they were during the brief respite midway through the hard lockdown.

New Zealand's Ardern hits back at Trump over coronavirus 'surge'

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hit back on Tuesday against US President Donald Trump for saying her country is experiencing a "big surge" in Covid-19, calling the remarks "patently wrong".

Trump sparked uproar in New Zealand when he told a crowd in Minnesota that the South Pacific country of 5 million people was in the grip of a "terrible" upsurge in Covid-19 cases, having earlier succeeded in eliminating the disease.

Thirteen new infections were confirmed in New Zealand on Tuesday, taking the country's total number of cases since the pandemic began to 1 293, with 22 deaths.

This compares with the US tally of more than 5.2 million cases and 170 000 deaths.

Popular SA sports journalist S'busiso Mseleku dies after contracting Covid-19

Well-known South African sports journalist S'busiso Mseleku has died after battling the coronavirus.

The news was confirmed by family friend, Duma Ndlovu, on Facebook on Tuesday.

WHO says people in 20s, 30s, 40s increasingly driving pandemic

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday it was concerned that the novel coronavirus spread was being driven by people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, many of which were unaware they were infected, posing a danger to vulnerable groups.

WHO officials said this month the proportion of younger people among those infected had risen globally, putting at risk vulnerable sectors of the population worldwide, including the elderly and sick people in densely populated areas with weak health services.

"The epidemic is changing," WHO Western Pacific regional director, Takeshi Kasai, told a virtual briefing.

"People in their 20s, 30s and 40s are increasingly driving the spread. Many are unaware they are infected."

"This increases the risk of spillovers to the more vulnerable," he added.

A surge in new cases has prompted some countries to re-impose curbs as companies race to find a vaccine for a virus that has battered economies, killed more than 770 000 people and infected nearly 22 million, according to a Reuters tally.

- Reuters

Wits begins second Covid-19 vaccine trial – and you can register as a volunteer

Named the NVX-CoV2373 trial, it will test whether the nanoparticle S-protein, in the Covid-19 vaccine candidate known as NVX-CoV2373, protects against Covid-19 disease in adults aged 18–64 years old.

The vaccine is produced by biotech company, Novavax, based in the US, who are known for producing vaccines for serious infectious diseases. 

Cigarettes flying off the shelves as tobacco sales ban goes up in smoke

Smokers across South Africa have already started journeying to their local stores and fuel stations to buy cigarettes legally for the first time since 27 March.

With the ban on the sale of cigarettes officially lifted on Tuesday, smokers have already made their way to retailers for a legal fix at a normal price.

During the prohibition, cigarettes were freely available albeit at inflated prices.