The Covid-19 death toll has hit 14 263, while the number of cases now sits at 628 259 

 The total number of recoveries is now 549 993  - a recovery rate of 87%.

Here’s what made the headlines on Tuesday

The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has extended its condolences to to the family and friends and colleagues of two SABC employees who recently died as a result of Covid-19. On Sunday it was announced that SABC assignments editor Tumelo Matloha and a logistics manager Michael Conradie had died. In May, eNCA cameraman Lungile Tom died in hospital on after testing positive for Covid-19.

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has come out strongly against corruption . Speaking during a virtual sitting, Makhura said people who are public officials and those in business must be held accountable. He said the Covid-19 tender corruption had set the province back six years, adding that the province hadn’t experienced corruption on as large a scale as the PPE tenders.

Meanwhile,The Gauteng health department unveiled a Covid-19 screening and testing station at a clinic in Soshanguve. The screening and testing station was made possible by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the department and BMW, which was aimed at assisting the province's response to the novel coronavirus, according to acting health MEC Jacob Mamabolo.

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) has announced the reopening of  the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway.TMACC said they will be reopening their doors on Tuesday 1 September after they had closed their operations at the beginning of the national lockdown.

In other news, South Africa has an official government tracing app for the coronavirus . COVID alert SA is a tiny app available for Android and Apple phones. It uses Bluetooth to watch for other phones with the app installed, and keeps an anonymous record of everyone you have been in contact with over two weeks.

-Compiled by Nokuthula Khanyile

Covid-19 wrap: India gets half a million cases in just one week, Russia hits 1 million cases

Al Jazeera reports that India reported the largest number of new Covid-19 cases of any country in the past week, its nearly half a million new infections pushing the global tally up by 1%, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.

"South-East Asia has reported the largest week-on-week increase, largely due to increased case detections in India," the WHO said.

"India has reported nearly 500 000 new cases in the past seven days, a 9% increase compared to the previous seven days and the highest numbers of new cases globally."

Overall global new deaths in the past seven days fell by 3 percent% by 1.8 million.

The respiratory disease is also spreading in the Americas, which continue to account for more than half of reported cases and deaths worldwide, although there have been slight decreases in some areas, the WHO said in its latest update.

New Covid-19 testing and screening station unveiled in Soshanguve

The screening and testing station was made possible by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the department and BMW, which was aimed at assisting the province's response to the novel coronavirus, according to acting health MEC Jacob Mamabolo.

"Today we unveil a part of the hospital project that is being undertaken through the signed MOU," Mamabolo said.

"The temporary screening facility at the Soshanguve Clinic is but yet another milestone in our journey to improve the quality of services we render to communities.

"Mamabolo said that it was important to acknowledge that the department's partnership with BMW to strengthen the province's response to the spread of the pandemic in Gauteng.

Covid-19 wrap | Mass testing in Hong Kong, Canada investigates acai berry

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis. 

UCT participating in three international Covid-19 vaccine trials

SA has been consolidating its place in the race towards a Covid-19 vaccine, with its involvement in three international clinical trials.

Germany 'can and will' avoid second coronavirus lockdown: minister

Germany can avoid imposing a second lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic, the economy minister said Tuesday, voicing confidence that measures in place to limit transmission can keep case numbers under control.

"I am convinced that we can and will prevent a second general shutdown," Peter Altmaier said.

- AFP

Spain is Europe's latest coronavirus hotspot and cases are spreading faster than in the US

Spain recorded more than 53 000 new Covid-19 cases in the last week, per The New York Times.

Adjusted for population, that figure means the virus is spreading there faster than in the US, and at more than twice the rate of neighbouring France.

Philippines confirms 3 483 more coronavirus cases, 39 deaths

The Philippines' health ministry on Tuesday reported 3 483 additional novel coronavirus infections and 39 more deaths.

In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed infections had reached 224 264, more than half of which were reported in the past 30 days, while deaths had increased to 3 597.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday kept partial restrictions in and around the capital for another month until end-September to stem the continuous rise in infections.

- REUTERS

Tightening of Irish Covid-19 curbs appears to be working, says health official

A significant tightening of Covid-19 restrictions in Ireland two weeks ago appears to be working, a senior health official said on Tuesday."It's early to say, but we would be optimistic.

We have had a stable daily case count now since Aug. 19," Philip Nolan, Chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, told national broadcaster RTE.

"It needs to be lower, to be honest with you. I wouldn't want to be hit with another event (outbreak) from a baseline of 100 cases per day... (But) I do think it is working."

- REUTERS

Coronavirus morning update: Pensioner allegedly steals R4.7m in Covid money, and schools latest 

Pensioner arrested for allegedly stealing R4.7m Covid-19 relief money; and the next two weeks will be used to monitor where there is a need to employ additional teachers.

South africa has 627 041 recorded cases of coronavirus and 14 149 deaths.

The recovery rate stands at 540 923 or 86%

The World Health Organization called on countries to persevere with restrictions to tackle Covid-19, director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday, saying opening up without control of the virus would be a "recipe for disaster".

Tedros recognised that many people are getting tired of restrictions and want to return to normality after eight months of the new coronavirus.

"We want to see children returning to school and people returning to work places, but we want to see it done safely," Tedros told a news conference.

"No country can just pretend the pandemic is over," he said.

"The reality is this virus spreads easily. Opening up without control is a recipe for disaster."

-Reuters

Schools reopening: Need for more teachers will be clear after two weeks, says Motshekga

The basic education department says it will use the next two weeks to monitor where there is a need to employ additional teachers, as all grades have now returned to schools. 

From Monday, grades 5 and 8, as well grades 4 and 5 at schools for pupils with severe intellectual disabilities, returned to the classroom.

Cops crash lockdown party: 44 arrested, fined R500 each in KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal police have warned residents that contravening Covid-19 regulations will land you in hot water, this after 44 people were arrested over the weekend at a gathering in Winterton - making for an expensive party as fines were handed out.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Jay Naicker on Monday said residents should "refrain from hosting gatherings that are in contravention of the Disaster Management Act".

You can now get a Covid-19 antibody test for R230, with results in 24 hours

Three of South Africa’s leading private pathology labs are now offering Covid-19 antibody tests - after a lengthy approval delay by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).

The recently-approved antibody tests are significantly cheaper than the gold-standard of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, which tests for active infections. 

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 25.28 million, death toll at 845 850

More than 25.28 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 845 850 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. 

-REUTERS

Paris to make free Covid tests available in the capital

The Paris local municipality said on Monday that it would look to make free Covid-19 testing available in all of the capital's 20 districts (arrondissements), as authorities battle against signs of a re-emergence of the virus in France.

The Paris mayor's office added in a statement that from Monday onwards, there would be three permanent laboratories set up to conduct free Covid-19 tests, as well as two other mobile laboratories that would go around the capital.

- REUTERS

Covid-19: UK parents take to homeschooling as answer to coronavirus fears

As schools start making preparations to welcome back students amid the coronavirus pandemic, a growing number of parents are taking matters into their own hands and are choosing to homeschool instead.

Walmart loaned Makro, Game owner R4 billion during lockdown – report

At the height of SA’s lockdown, the US giant Walmart provided a R4bn loan to Massmart – owner of Makro, Game and Builders Warehouse - to help it survive the crisis.

Russia's coronavirus cases approach 1 million

Russia reported 4,993 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, bringing its nationwide tally to 995 319, the fourth largest caseload in the world.

Russia's coronavirus taskforce said 83 people had died over the last 24 hours, pushing the official death toll to 17 176.

- REUTERS

RCL Foods reports R959 million loss due to lockdown, Covid-19 impact

Food producer RCL Foods has reported a loss of R959 million for the year ending June 30, following a tough year exacerbated by the impact of Covid-19 and the national lockdown. 

Covid-19 wrap | Australia hits coronavirus record, US mulls early vaccine approval

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis.

Tata ma chance: Pensioner arrested for allegedly stealing R4.7m Covid-19 relief money

A 62-year-old pensioner from Hammanskraal scored a sizeable extra pension of R4.7 million by allegedly stealing the money from the UIF's Covid-19 Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme.

Hunting for SA’s uncounted Covid-19 toll: Scientists urge measures to probe 40 000 excess deaths

As the number of estimated excess deaths nears 40 000, scientists have urged the government to fast-track the processing of death notifications, which may hold the answer to South Africa’s true coronavirus death toll. 

A cumulative total of 625 056 confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa have been recorded with 2 505 new cases identified.

There have been 47 more Covid-19 related deaths: 3 from KwaZulu-Natal,16 from Gauteng, 7 from Eastern Cape, 7 from Western Cape, 3 from Free State and 11 from Mpumalanga. This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 14 028.

Our recoveries now stand at 538 604 which translates to a recovery rate of 86%.

The total number of tests conducted to date is 3 674 872 with 21 902 new tests conducted since the last report.

Coronavirus research recap: Allergies vs Covid-19, more evidence on masks, and lung fungi 

Recap of the latest coronavirus research and science: Pollen season is on the way, know the difference between allergies and Covid-19; and more evidence on why masks work.

LATEST SCIENCE AND RESEARCH

SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes the disease Covid-19, is mainly spread through respiratory droplets, especially when we cough and speak in indoor spaces with inadequate ventilation.

In the absence of a safe, effective vaccine, we are resorting to face masks to reduce the risk of getting sick while returning to the outside world. To date, various studies suggested that although masks can’t keep us 100% protected against Covid-19, they can reduce the risk of spreading droplets.

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

Grim new world record

India sets a coronavirus record, reporting 78 761 new infections in 24 hours - the world's highest single-day rise - even as the country continues to open up the economy.

In his regular monthly radio address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not comment on the milestone but calls on Indians to observe health safety measures.

More than 843 000 dead

The pandemic has killed at least 843 778 people worldwide since surfacing in China late last year, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 19:30 GMT Sunday.

More than 25 million cases have been registered.

The United States has recorded the highest number of deaths with 182,808, followed by Brazil with 120 462, Mexico with 63 819, India with 63 498 and Britain with 41 499 fatalities.

'Attack on democracy'

Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier condemns an incident in which protesters tried to storm the Reichstag parliament building as an "unacceptable attack on the heart of our democracy".

Several hundred people protesting coronavirus restrictions broke through barriers and a police cordon to climb the steps leading to the entrance to the Reichstag late on Saturday, before being stopped by police.

Nigerian students to return to class

Universities and other institutions of higher learning in Lagos are to welcome students back from September 14.

Elementary and high schools are to reopen on September 21, "depending on sanitary conditions".

US Open player tests positive

French tennis player Benoit Paire is removed from the US Open men's draw after the Grand Slam tournament says an unidentified player has tested positive for the virus.

French sports daily L'Equipe reported earlier that world number 22 Paire had tested positive in New York.

Messi misses test

Lionel Messi has missed his virus test at Barcelona's training ground, club sources confirm, raising the possibility that the football superstar will boycott pre-season to force a transfer from the Spanish club.

India sets new world record with 78 761 virus cases in one day

New Delhi – India on Sunday set a coronavirus record when it reported 78 761 new infections in 24 hours – the world's highest single-day rise – even as it continued to open up the economy.

Home to 1.3 billion people, India is already the world's third-most infected nation with more than 3.5 million cases, behind the US and Brazil.

It has also reported more than 63 000 deaths, according to the official health ministry toll.

The US set the previous record on 17 July with 77 638 daily infections, according to an AFP tally.

In his regular monthly radio address on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not comment on the milestone, but called on Indians to observe health safety measures.

"It is important that every citizen is healthy and happy and we defeat coronavirus completely together," Modi said in Hindi.

"Corona(virus) can only be defeated when you remain safe, when you fulfil the resolve of keeping a safe distance of two yards and wearing masks."

 - AFP

Russia's coronavirus infection tally climbs to near one million

MOSCOW – Russia reported 4 980 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, pushing its confirmed national tally up to 990 326.

Authorities said 68 people had died of Covid-19 over the last 24 hours, raising the official death toll to 17 093.

 - REUTERS

Brazil surpasses 120 000 Covid deaths 

Rio de Janeiro – Just over six months after registering its first case of the new coronavirus, Brazil crossed the grim threshold of 120 000 people killed by Covid-19 on Saturday, with no end in sight to the crisis.

The country of 212 million people has now registered 120 262 deaths from the virus and 3 846 153 infections, the health ministry said in its daily update.

Brazil is just the second country to surpass a death toll of 120 000 in the pandemic, after the United States, where the number killed is now more than 182 000.

Unlike in Europe and Asia, where the virus hit hard and then subsided, Brazil's outbreak is advancing at a slow but devastating pace, said Christovam Barcellos, a researcher at public health institute Fiocruz.

"Brazil is unique in the world. Since the start of the pandemic, its curve has been different from other countries', much slower," he told AFP. "It has stabilised now, but at a very dangerous level: nearly 1 000 deaths and 40 000 cases per day…And Brazil still isn't past the peak."

 - AFP