The Covid-19 death toll has hit 12 843, while the number of cases now sits at 603 338.

 The total number of recoveries is now 500 102 - a recovery rate of 82%.

  Here’s what made the headlines on Friday

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said alcohol consumption is having a massive impact on the health system. In his guest column, Mkhize said the lockdown and alcohol ban had decreased the number of trauma cases in the Western Cape. According to Mkhize, the lockdown and alcohol ban saw a decreased of about 40-50% in trauma cases at five Western Cape facilities.

Government said it cannot give an undertaking that the cigarette ban will not be reinstated in the future. In a letter to the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) the state attorney said Cooperative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma could not guarantee that the tobacco ban will not be reinstated. The tobacco ban, which lasted for five months, was lifted this week as the country entered level two of the national lockdown.

Meanwhile, the Special Investigations Unit has obtained a court order to freeze the accounts of 40 entities linked to Gauteng’s irregular PPE tender . Among these were accounts linked to Ledla Structural Development, Royal Bhaca Projects and Mediwaste. SIU Special Tribunal Judge Billy Mothle issued an order to freeze R38.7 million that is due for recovery.

The National Education, Health and Allied Worker’s union (Nehawu) has threatened to down tools next month if its demands to protect workers from Covid-19 are not met. Among others, the union is demanding adequate provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The union said it will start pickets next week ahead of a full-blown strike if its demands are not met.

Plans to build a field hospital in Tshwane have been cancelled due to the decline in daily Covid-19 infections and hospital admissions in Gauteng . Gauteng Department of Health COO Lesiba Malotana said he was of the view that the peak had now passed.

-Compiled by Nokuthula Khanyile      

WHO hopes Covid-19 pandemic will end in 'less than two years'

"We hope to finish this pandemic before less than two years," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters from the WHO's headquarters in Geneva, insisting that it should be possible to tame the novel coronavirus faster than the deadly 1918 pandemic.

Compared to back then, the world today is at a disadvantage due to its "globalisation, closeness, connectedness", which has allowed the novel coronavirus to spread around the world at lightning speed, Tedros acknowledged.

But the world also now has the advantage of far better technology, he said. By "utilising the available tools to the maximum and hoping that we can have additional tools like vaccines, I think we can finish it in a shorter time than the 1918 flu."

Covid-19 in Gauteng: The 'worst is over', says provincial health department

Daily Covid-19 infections have consistently dropped since the middle of July. On 9 July, the province recorded its highest daily increase of 6 531 new Covid-19 cases - and, by 19 August, 944 cases were recorded.

Malotana said, while the daily infections and hospitalisations have been declining, there has not been a decline in the number of Covid-19 tests performed in the province.By mid-July, when infections started increasing sharply, the province had conducted 817 655 tests.

By 6 August, 1 069 171 tests were done in Gauteng and, by 20 August, a total of 1 161 954 tests had been conducted.

Covid-19: Planned Tshwane field hospital cancelled due to declining infections, hospital admissions

Due to the decline in daily Covid-19 infections and hospital admissions in Gauteng, the planned field hospital at the Tshwane events centre will no longer be built.

This was revealed by Gauteng Department of Health COO Gauteng Lesiba Malotana during the Provincial Command Council's weekly Covid-19 briefing on Friday.

According to the data from the council, the highest number of hospital admissions was recorded in the middle of July.

On 22 July, a total of 7 193 patients were hospitalised for the virus, of which 1 863 of them needed to be on oxygen.

PPE a 'dire necessity' - HPCSA's concern after 240 healthcare workers die of Covid-19

HPCSA spokesperson Priscilla Sekhonyana said healthcare workers selflessly put their lives at risk and, as a result, were vulnerable to the virus.

The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is concerned that 240 healthcare workers have died of Covid-19 since the beginning of the outbreak.

Nationally, 27 360 healthcare workers, from both the public and private sector, are reported to have been infected, according to the national health department.

"It is our obligation to ensure that we preserve our assets and work together to assist our healthcare workers by not overwhelming the healthcare system," the council said.

Mboweni: We will keep working on the Covid-19 scheme

National Treasury said on Thursday it had met with the Reserve Bank and the Banking Association of South Africa to discuss the R200 billion loan guarantee scheme.

Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni has said with the help of banks, National Treasury's loan guarantee scheme was positioned to assist businesses and spur economic recovery as lockdown conditions imposed on the country’s economy continued to ease.

Also present at the meeting were South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago, deputy SARB governor Kuben Naidoo, deputy minister of finance David Masondo and representatives of various registered banks.

Covid-19 corruption: SARS investigating 17 'politically exposed persons'

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) is investigating 17 tenders, involving "politically exposed persons", worth R1.2 billion, or 60% of the R2 billion it is probing, the tax collector's commissioner Edward Kieswetter told the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa).

On Friday, Scopa was briefed on the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) appointed to deal with Covid-19 related corruption, and allowed short briefings by the heads of law enforcement agencies, like SARS.

The WHO urge parents to prioritise their children's routine vaccinations amid Covid-19

With the novel coronavirus overburdening our already strained health-care system, other medically necessary services have been disrupted.

Maternal and neonatal health has been identified as particularly at risk during the pandemic, and in some instances, new mothers have even been denied vital services including vaccination for their babies. 

Issuing a warning against such actions the World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging countries to priorities this service especially in instances where children have missed routine vaccinations due to lockdown restrictions.

The Covid-19 field hospital at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) closed on Friday, complete with memorabilia and singing.

The hospital, which was opened by President Cyril Ramaphosa, on 5 June has served its purpose, according to the provincial government,  as Covid-19 related cases in the western Cape ease. 

Earlier this week it was widely reported that Western Cape head of department Dr Keith Cloete, said the CTICC would be decommissioned on 18 August and the remaining patients would be transferred to the Brackengate facility from Friday.

News24's Murray Williams was at the CTICC on Friday and captured videos of Premier Alan Winde being handed a board which read '862' (the number of beds the facility had), while healthcare workers can also be seen and heard singing and dancing, to signal the facility's closure.

The CTICC facility treated 1 502 people, discharged 1 440, with 57 remaining. Eighty-two people died there.

Dis-Chem withdraws appeal against R1.2 million fine for hiking prices of surgical masks

Pharmacy chain Dis-Chem has withdrawn its appeal against a decision by the Competition Tribunal to fine it R1.2 million for hiking the prices of certain types of surgical face masks at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We have been consistent in arguing that price gouging in a pandemic deprives consumers, particularly poor consumers, of access to essential goods that are necessary to prevent a further escalation of the pandemic," said Competition Commissioner Tembinkosi Bonakele in a statement on Friday. 

Covid-19 wrap: Beijing says residents can go mask-free, doctors strike in Kenya over pay, PPE

More than 22.78 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 792 837 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. 

PLUS:

- Irish PM accepts minister's resignation over Covid-19 breach

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- Brazil coronavirus cases tops 3.5 million, fatalities exceed 112 000 - health ministry

Table Mountain cable car opens soon - and if you had a birthday during lockdown you can claim a free ride

With lockdown restrictions being eased, tourist attraction sites such as The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company will be reopening for local and domestic travellers from 1 September.

The cableway will allow visitors in from Monday to Sunday throughout September, between 08:00 and 15:00.

Russia's coronavirus case tally nears 950 000

Russia reported 4 870 new coronavirus cases on Friday, pushing its confirmed national tally to 946 976, the fourth largest in the world.

Authorities said 90 people had died over the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 16 189.

- Reuters

Doctors strike in Nairobi over pay, lack of Covid-19 protection

The strike began at midnight on Friday, said Thuranira Kaugiria, secretary general for the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union.

Doctors in most public hospitals in Kenya's capital went on strike on Friday to protest against delayed salaries and a lack of protective equipment when handling patients who may have Covid-19.

Kaugiria said 320 doctors employed by the Nairobi County government were taking part in the strike because they had inadequate health insurance, poor quality protective gear and too few isolation wards to treat Covid-19 patients.

The strike will not affect private hospitals and public hospitals within Nairobi run by the national government.

Latest data show 31 441 confirmed coronavirus cases in Kenya, 620 deaths and 13 536 recoveries out of 407 610 tests done so far. The majority of confirmed cases have been in the capital.

- Reuters

Ex-Stormers centre Jamie Roberts 'feeling fine' after testing positive for Covid-19

Roberts had his stint with the Stormers cut short earlier this year when the Super Rugby season was suspended due to the global pandemic.

Wales international and ex-Stormers centre Jamie Roberts says he is feeling fine after testing positive for the coronavirus.

The 33-year-old is also a medical doctor and helped fight the disease on the frontline when he returned to Wales.

Tourism could rebound thanks to fresh hope of foreign investment, says minister

Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane is "highly encouraged" by interest shown in the country's tourism sector by both domestic and international investors, she told media on Wednesday.

"This gives hope that the supply side of the tourism sector will not only recover but has the potential to surpass where we were as a sector prior to the pandemic," she said.

According to Blessing Manale, spokesperson for the Department of Tourism, the ministry has prioritised engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a potential source for foreign direct investment (FDI).

Zweli Mkhize | The burden of alcohol on the healthcare system

Only 31% of the South African population drinks, but alcohol consumption is having a massive impact on the healthcare system, writes Zweli Mkhize. 

The regulations relating to the restriction of alcohol sales have sparked much debate about the role the alcoholic beverage industry plays both in our society and our economy.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, South Africa was already contemplating the devastating effects of alcohol on our society and taking steps towards legislated regulation of alcoholic beverage sales and consumption.

Almost 2 400 medical interns recruited in 2020 in 'biggest programme in history' - Mkhize

A total of 2 369 medical interns have joined the health workforce this year, while a further 41 who have studied abroad are being allocated across the country, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Friday.

Calling it the "biggest medical intern allocation programme in history", he said more than 650 graduates from the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Cuba medical programme would also soon begin their reintegration programmes in preparation for their qualifications to practice in SA.

Excess deaths rise to estimated 36 500 as health department seeks to solve natural deaths mystery

Daily Covid-19 infections are seeing a decline, but the number of people estimated to have died from natural causes over and above the official coronavirus deaths continue to increase.

Excess deaths grew by an estimated 3 014 for the week of 5 to 11 August, compared to 4 673 the week before.

Mangaung is the only metro where excess deaths from natural causes have not declined in the week ending 11 August.

Coronavirus morning update: Lowdown on cigarette prices, and lockdown leaves SA drowning in debt

Some cigarette brands are more expensive than before they were banned; and studies show how the impact of lockdown had a devastating effect on the debt burden of SA citizens.

The Covid-19 death toll is now at 12 618, while the number of case has hit 599 940.

A total of 497 169 people have recovered - a recovery rate of 82%.

Here’s what made the headlines on Thursday

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has given a detailed breakdown to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) regarding its investigations on Covid-19 corruption. SIU head Andy Mothibi said the unit is currently investigating 658 contracts related to Covid-19 procurement, worth R5 billion across departments and spheres of government.

The owner of Game and Makro stores, Massmart is expecting a loss of over R1 billion due to the Covid-19 national lockdown. The retail giant said it lost approximately R2.3 billion in liquor sales in April and May after alcohol was banned. The retail giant said it had seen a marked improvement in sales from June.

Meanwhile, recent studies on the economic impact of the national lockdown indicate that South Africans have been left unemployed and drowning in debt. According to debt counselling firm, Debtbusters, the debt holiday offered by banks at the start of the hard lockdown in March had added R20.7 million to the debt of over 1 million South Africans.

Mangosuthu Buthelezi has completed has completed his Covid-19 self-isolation and is in good health. Buthelezi was diagnosed with Covid-19 on 8 August after coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for the virus. A family spokesperson said during the self-isolation period, Buthelezi remained asymptomatic.

Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha said he will not place Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba who is facing allegations of nepotism in the Covid-19 procurement process, on special leave. Addressing media, Mathabatha said there was no basis to place anyone on special leave. He was adamant that the Covid-19 procurement process was fair, transparent and according to prescribed provisions.

- Compiled by Nokuthula Khanyile

Covid-19 in Africa: 'hopeful' daily drop in cases

The continent-wide daily average was 10 300 last week, down from 11 000 the week before, Dr John Nkengasong said at a press briefing, adding that officials were greeting the news with "cautious optimism".

"We have begun to bend the curve slowly," he said."It is very, very early. We are dealing with a very delicate virus that spreads very quickly, but it's important to recognise those slight tendencies that are positive."

Africa had recorded 1 147 369 cases as of Thursday morning, about half of which were in South Africa, which has the fifth-highest total globally.

South Africa has seen its number of daily confirmed cases fall from a peak of over 12 000 to an average of 5 000, driving the drop in the continent-wide average.

Mangosuthu Buthelezi completes Covid-19 self-isolation, was asymptomatic

Mangosuthu Buthelezi has completed his Covid-19 isolation and is in good health, a family representative said on Thursday.

The world desperately needs coronavirus treatments, even if we get a vaccine

Like most viruses, the novel coronavirus isn't likely to disappear from the population for good. Instead, the world's best hope is a combination of public-health measures, drug treatments, and a vaccine.Under the most optimistic scenario, the US could be ready to manufacture a vaccine by the end of 2020.

But by then, the virus is expected to kill an additional 23 000 people on top of the current death toll of 172 000, according to models from the University of Washington. And even if a vaccine becomes available, challenges in mass-producing and distributing it mean herd immunity is a long way off.

China state media says angry reactions to a packed water party in Wuhan are 'sour grapes'

Thousands gathered in a water park in the city for an electronic music festival over the weekend, with photos of the event showing no one wearing face masks and people packed closely together.

The Global Times, a combative tabloid controlled by the Chinese state, noted the criticism and pushed back.

It said that the reaction "exposed overseas 'sour grapes' and also prompted some to reflect on epidemic control in their own countries".

Russia's 'Sputnik V' Covid-19 vaccine to be tested on 40 000 people 

Mass testing of Russia's first potential COVID-19 vaccine to get domestic regulatory approval will involve more than 40 000 people, the TASS news agency cited the vaccine's developer as saying on Thursday.

The vaccine, called "Sputnik V" in homage to the world's first satellite launched by the Soviet Union, has been hailed as safe and effective by Russian authorities and scientists following two months of small-scale human trials, the results of which have not been made public yet.

- Reuters

China defends massive pool party in Wuhan

China defends a massive pool party attended by thousands of people in the city of Wuhan - where the virus first emerged in December 2019 - despite images from the event prompting outrage around the world.

Pictures and video of the weekend electronic music party have gone viral, attracting a huge negative response in places where lockdowns are still in effect.

But Chinese authorities insist the pool party shows the city's "strategic victory" against the outbreak, and says the images are proof the country's approach to controlling the virus has been successful.

- AFP

ANALYSIS | How well has South Africa done at reducing Covid-19 deaths?

Eight months into the Covid-19 pandemic, how well has South Africa done at limiting infections, and how big a deal is the pandemic anyway? To answer that, we need to think about how the data actually works and doesn't work.

Covid-19 wrap: South Korea infections 'in full swing', parts of Croatia declared virus risk areas

Keeping you up to date on the latest novel coronavirus (Covid-19) news from around the world.

- South Korea's coronavirus infections are back "in full swing" and spreading nationwide.

- Germany's public health agency declared the popular tourist Croatian counties of Sibenik-Knin and Split-Dalmatia coronavirus risk regions.

- The British government came under fresh pressure on Thursday over its botched policy for grading exams cancelled during the coronavirus lockdown.

Heading out during Level 2? Make sure you wear your mask in public restrooms

Researchers have determined that flushing urinals in public restrooms can propel particles carrying coronavirus into the air.

When lockdown Level 2 was announced on 15 August 2020, many people were excited at the prospect of meeting friends in public spaces, including bars and restaurants.

While you can reduce your risk of contracting Covid-19 by wearing a mask, washing hands and standing at least 2m away from other people, there is another area where you should be careful – public restrooms.

Covid-19 cases at schools in the Western Cape were also in decline - 0.0009% of cases, but the next groups of pupils and teachers returning on Monday must maintain all precautions with distancing, masks, alternating classes. (Twitter, @itchybyte)

The Western Cape has still not received the funding it was promised by national government to manage Covid-19. Had to readjust own budget says Premier Alan Winde. He says there was "some bookkeeping", but not the money promised. (Twitter, @itchybyte)

Cloete says social distancing, hand washing, mask wearing and continued vigilance important now for next 12 to 24 months until vaccine for Covid-19 becomes available. (Twitter, @itchybyte)