LIVE | Covid-19 death toll in SA is now 19 677, cases rise to 732 414

SA death toll at 19 677, while the number of cases now sits at 732 414

South Africa has recorded 92 more Covid-19-related deaths, of which 23 was reported in the past 24-48 hours, taking the number of total fatalities to 19 677, according to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.

“Regrettably, we report 92 Covid-19 related deaths today: 27 from Eastern Cape, 7 from Gauteng, 17 from the Free State, 4 from KwaZulu-Natal, 1 from Mpumalanga, 23 from North West, 8 from Northern Cape and 5 from Western Cape.

"Of the 92 deaths reported today, 23 were reported to have occurred in the past 24-48 hours: 4 in the Free State, 9 in Eastern Cape, 5 in Gauteng, 1 in Northern Cape and 4 in Western Cape,” he said in a statement on Thursday night.

The cumulative number of tests conducted to date is 4 917 625, with 23 942 new tests conducted since the last report. Recoveries now stand at 671 579, which translates to a recovery rate of 91.7%.

As of today, the total number of confirmed #COVID19 cases is 732 414, the total number of deaths is 19 677 and the total number of recoveries is 671 579. pic.twitter.com/0FlKaaL9g4

— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) November 5, 2020

German coronavirus cases hit new record as shoppers stockpile again

Germany's daily new coronavirus infections hit a record high on Thursday as data showed shoppers had stocked up on toilet paper, hand sanitiser and baking ingredients ahead of new lockdown measures that took effect this week.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases increased by 19 990 to 596 583, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Thursday.

The Statistics Office said rising coronavirus cases and the new partial lockdown, which took effect from 2 November, had increased the demand for some hygiene articles and foodstuffs in the second half of October.

- Reuters

Russia reports 19 404 new coronavirus cases, 292 deaths

Russia reported 19 404 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, close to a record high that included 5 255 infections in Moscow and took the national tally to 1 712 858.

Authorities also reported 292 virus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, pushing the official death toll to 29 509.

- Reuters

Covid-19 wrap | Swedish PM isolates, US coronavirus record, and Australia makes a vaccine deal

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Ukraine reports record daily high new coronavirus cases - minister

Ukraine registered a record 9 850 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the health minister said on Thursday, up from a high of 9 524 reported a day earlier.

Total infections stood at 430 467 with 7 924 deaths by Thursday, Maksym Stepanov said.

- Reuters

India reports daily jump of 50 210 coronavirus infections

India reported a daily jump of 50 210 coronavirus infections, taking its total to 8.36 million, the health ministry said on Thursday.

This was the highest daily jump in cases since 25 October, according to a Reuters tally.

Cases in India have been dipping since hitting a peak in September, but experts warn that the Diwali festival season could lead to a spike.

Deaths rose by 704, with total mortalities now at 124 315, the ministry said.

- Reuters

US sets new record for increase in Covid-19 cases day after election

The United States set a one-day record for new coronavirus cases on Wednesday with at least 102 591 new infections and as hospitals in several states reported a rising tide of patients, according to a Reuters tally.

Nine states reported record one-day increases in cases on Wednesday: Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin.

The pandemic has affected nearly every aspect of American life, including a record number of voters mailing in their ballots in Tuesday's presidential election, whose outcome has yet to be decided.

In addition to rising cases, on Tuesday hospitalisations topped 50 000 for the first time in three months. Hospitalisation are a key metric because they are not impacted by the amount of testing done.

- Reuters

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 19 990 - RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 19 990 to 597 583, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Thursday.

The reported death toll rose by 118 to 10,930, the tally showed.

- Reuters

Australia signs two more Covid-19 vaccine deals

Australia has agreed to purchase another 50 million doses of two more Covid-19 vaccines, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, as Canberra aims to complete a mass inoculation programme within months.

Australia in September said it had agreed to spend A$1.7 billion ($1.2 billion) to buy 85 million vaccine doses from AstraZeneca and CSL Ltd should the trails prove successful.

But seeking to maximise access to potential vaccines, Australia said on Thursday it had also agreed to purchase two other inoculations.

Australia would buy 40 million doses from Novavax and 10 million from Pfizer and BioNTech, Morrison said.

- Reuters

SA death toll at 19 585, while the number of cases now sits at 730 548

South Africa has recorded 46 more Covid-19-related deaths, of which 9 was reported in the past 24-48 hours, taking the number of total fatalities to 19 585, according to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.

“Regrettably, we report 46 Covid-19 related deaths today: 24 from Eastern Cape, 9 from Gauteng, 3 from the Free State, 5 from KwaZulu-Natal, 1 from Northern Cape and 4 from Western Cape. This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 19 585.

"Of the 46 deaths reported today, 9 were reported to have occurred in the past 24-48 hours: 1 in the Free State, 2 in Eastern Cape, 2 in Gauteng, 1 in Northern Cape and 3 in Western Cape ,” he said in a statement on Monday night.

The cumulative number of tests conducted to date is 4 893 683, with 25 073 new tests conducted since the last report. Recoveries now stand at 660 185, which translates to a recovery rate of 90%.

Covid-19 wrap | Coronavirus cases head to 50 million, record in Bulgaria and Russia

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis.

Poland to announce new restrictions to curb Covid-19 on Wednesday 

Poland will announce more restrictions on Wednesday to stop the spread of the coronavirus, the prime minister's chief of staff Michal Dworczyk said.

Poland has faced a spike in infections, with the latest record in daily cases - 21 897 - reported on Saturday.

The country is running out of hospital beds, ventilators, oxygen and medics.

"The situation is serious and today the prime minister will announce further restrictions, decisions that would limit our functioning, the number of social contacts," Dworczyk told a catholic radio Siodma9.

- Reuters

Italy to impose anti-virus night curfew

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has signed a decree to enforce night curfews from 21:00 GMT on Thursday in a bid to stop the resurgence of coronavirus, media reported.

Conte was expected to detail on Wednesday other anti-Covid-19 measures, such as shutting shopping centres, to remain in force until 3 December.

- AFP

India records 46 253 new coronavirus cases 

India recorded 46 253 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, health ministry data showed on Wednesday, with cases rising again in some parts including the capital New Delhi.

With 8.3 million confirmed coronavirus cases, India is the world's second most affected country, behind only the United States.

But the spread has slowed down since a September peak, and the country has reported less than 50 000 infections daily for 10 straight days.

- Reuters

Anger at second virus closing time for English pubs

English pubs call last orders at the bar for a month on Wednesday evening, as the country effectively shuts down for the second time this year to try to cut coronavirus cases.

Pub owners and industry organisations are angry and concerned at the move, warning that after struggling with the first lockdown, it could cause many pubs to call "time" for good.

"Make no mistake, this could be the final straw for thousands of pubs and brewers," said Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association.

- AFP

Hungary foreign minister tests positive for coronavirus, MTI reports

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto tested positive for the coronavirus, state news agency MTI reported on Wednesday, adding that the minister, who is on an official visit to Thailand, has no symptoms.

- Reuters

Covid-19 wrap | Coronavirus record in Spain, warnings in the UK, and curfews in Europe

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Philippines confirms 1 772 new coronavirus cases, 49 deaths

The Philippine health ministry on Tuesday recorded 1 772 new coronavirus infections and 49 more deaths.

In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases have risen to 387 161 while deaths have reached 7 318.

The Philippines has the second highest number of coronavirus infections and deaths in Southeast Asia after Indonesia.

- Reuters

Leaders on Trump's Covid-19 task force are sounding the alarm as the infections rise across the US

Leaders in the White House Coronavirus Task Force have been blunt that the pandemic is far from over and will likely get worse in the upcoming weeks despite public statements from Trump that suggest otherwise, according to a report from The Washington Post. 

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 15 352 to 560 379 - RKI

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 15 352 to 560 379, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.

The reported death toll rose by 131 to 10 661, the tally showed.

- Reuters

Australia records one local Covid-19 case, NZ quarantine worker tests positive

Australia on Tuesday reported one locally acquired case of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, while New Zealand registered its first community transmission in more than two weeks after a worker at a quarantine facility tested positive.

Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, reported the one domestic case of Covid-19, though it and Queensland state said there were six infections among people returning from overseas and in quarantine.

The result means Victoria state, the epicentre of Australia's Covid-19 outbreak, has now gone four days without detecting any new infections.

With infections curtailed, South Australia state said it reopen the border with Victoria in two weeks. Anyone travelling from Victoria will have to quarantine for two weeks after arriving, South Australia Premier Steven Marshall said.

- Reuters

UK to pilot new Covid-19 mass testing approach in Liverpool

Britain will launch a Covid-19 mass testing pilot scheme in Liverpool this week, offering everyone in the city tests whether or not they have symptoms, in an attempt to find a better way to use testing to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had promised a "world-beating" national test-and-trace system earlier this year, but the scheme has disappointed and the government's scientific advisory body said last month its impact on virus transmission was marginal.

The United Kingdom has the highest Covid-19 death toll in Europe, and a second national lockdown is due to come into force in England on Thursday.

The government said the Liverpool pilot would start on Friday using PCR swab tests, the default testing method to date, as well as new lateral flow tests aimed at delivering faster results without the need for laboratory processing.

- Reuters

Mexico reports 3 763 new coronavirus cases, 205 more deaths

Mexico's health ministry reported on Monday 3 763 additional cases of the novel coronavirus and 205 more deaths in the country, bringing the official number of cases to 933 155 and the death toll to 92 100.

The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

- Reuters

FACTBOX | Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 46.62 million, death toll at 1 201 057

More than 46.62 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1 201 057 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

Covid-19: Gauteng health dept to conduct antibody survey to measure infection rate

Acting Health MEC Jacob Mamobolo says this study is key to the province's efforts to contain the spread of the virus as well as getting an estimate of who has been infected, where they are based and the trajectory of the virus.

"When we have such information at our disposal, we will be able to make appropriate decisions in response to the pandemic, taking into consideration government's limited resources," he said.

The government has urged residents to cooperate and support the antibody survey.

Residents should note that health professionals will be visiting their homes only during the day, will be wearing a uniform and carrying identification tags.

Aspen shares rally after striking Covid-19 vaccine deal

The Durban-headquartered drug manufacturer said in a statement on Monday that the vaccine candidate is currently undergoing clinical trials. Aspen Pharmacare will perform formulation, filling and secondary packaging of the vaccine candidate to supply Johnson & Johnson.

Aspen Pharmacare's [JSE:APN] share price rose by 4.5% in early morning trade following the announcement of its agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies for the technical transfer and proposed commercial manufacture of their Covid-19 vaccine candidate, Ad26.COV2-S.

Business lobby says it has learned that UIF Covid-19 payouts will not be extended

Representatives of organised business and unions say they have been blindsided by an announcement that the state's Covid Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) benefit will not be extended any further. 

The relief benefit was introduced in March. It was established to allow businesses to continue paying salaries while their doors were closed during the lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the Covid-19 novel coronavirus.

Leading Covid-19 vaccine candidate to be manufactured in SA

Aspen's Group Chief Executive, Stephen Saad, told Health24 that should the vaccine prove efficacious, manufacturing should begin in March or April 2021.

Many Covid-19 cases are asymptomatic - but how does this happen?

Some people who test positive for the coronavirus never feel sick, and researchers may have found a clue as to why this happens.

People who become infected with Covid-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, experience mild to severe illness, or even death – and then there are those who have no symptoms at all.

Coronavirus science | Week in review: 'Long Covid', second 'key' and attacked by the immune system

What makes the new coronavirus infectious; 'long Covid' and factors which may reveal whether you’ll suffer long term; and some patients attacked by their own immune systems.

UK minister says lockdown in England could be extended

The one-month lockdown for England announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson this weekend could be extended as Britain struggles to contain a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, a senior cabinet member said on Sunday.

Johnson announced on Saturday that the lockdown across England would kick in after midnight on Thursday morning and last until 2 December.

The United Kingdom, which has the biggest official death toll in Europe from Covid-19, is grappling with more than 20 000 new coronavirus cases a day and scientists have warned a worst-case scenario of 80 000 dead could be exceeded.

So far, it has reported 46 555 Covid-19 deaths - defined as those dying within 28 days of a positive test. A broader measure of those with Covid-19 on their death certificates puts the toll at 58 925.Asked if a lockdown could be extended beyond early December, senior cabinet minister Michael Gove told Sky News: "Yes."

"We can definitively say that unless we take action now, the [health service] is going to be overwhelmed in ways that none of us could countenance."

The other constituents of the United Kingdom - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - have their own policies and enacted tougher Covid-19 health restrictions last month.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Saturday she was prepared to further tighten the rules there if necessary. Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, said the government had missed a golden chance to lockdown England more effectively when schools were on half-term break last month.

"Well that's gone now. That is the price of the government's incompetence," Starmer told the BBC.

-REUTERS

Europe's pandemic woes worsen with a fresh wave of lockdowns

A one-month stay-home policy will take effect in the UK on Thursday.

Germany and France introduced similar lockdowns this week while Austria, Greece and Portugal followed suit.

Israel starts human trials on COVID-19 vaccine as schools slowly reopen

Israel began human trials on Sunday for its Covid-19 vaccine candidate which, if successful, could be ready for the general public by the end of next summer.Eighty volunteers will initially take part in the trial that will be expanded to 960 people in December. Should those trials succeed a third stage with 30 000 volunteers is scheduled for April/May.

President Donald Trump's campaign rallies were linked to 30 000 coronavirus cases and "likely led to more than 700 deaths," according to a new study by Stanford University economists.

The paper focused on 18 campaign rallies held between June 20 and September 30.

Brazilian Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello is in stable condition in a hospital after being diagnosed with Covid-19, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Pazuello checked into a hospital in Brasilia on Friday for dehydration, having tested positive for the coronavirus on October 21. He will stay in the hospital until Sunday, when he will be reevaluated, the ministry said.

"There has been no need for supportive measures such as oxygen supplementation," the statement said.

One day after testing positive, Pazuello met with right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro in a hotel room, with a social media video showing the two chatting without masks. Bolsonaro recovered from a bout of Covid-19 in July.

The president said Pazuello's case was another instance demonstrating that the controversial drug chloroquine helped those with Covid-19 to recover quickly.

Bolsonaro, who has sought to downplay the severity of the virus, has advocated for the use of the anti-malarial drug chloroquine and related hydroxychloroquine, despite a lack of scientific evidence that they help those with COVID-19.

During the pandemic, two successive health ministers resigned in roughly the span of a month, in part because as physicians, themselves, they would not fully endorse chloroquine. Pazuello, an active-duty Army general without a medical degree, has expanded access to chloroquine and allowed it to be prescribed to virtually anyone who tests positive for the coronavirus.

Brazil has the second deadliest outbreak of coronavirus, with 159 477 deaths, after only the United States, according to a Reuters tally. Roughly half of Bolsonaro's 23-member cabinet have caught the coronavirus, as well as the president and his wife.

OPINION | Is reaching zero Covid-19 possible?

Eliminating the virus across much of the world, while not unthinkable, could take a significant number of years, writes Kingston Mills, Professor of Experimental Immunology, Trinity College Dublin.

Most scientists agree that stringent control measures, involving efficient contact tracing, testing and isolation, together with social distancing and mask wearing, are required to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2. South Korea, Taiwan, China and New Zealand have all successfully used these approaches to suppress the virus.

A few have even called for a zero Covid-19 approach, attempting to eliminate the virus rather than contain its spread. New Zealand almost succeeded but, after 100 days without a case, new infections emerged from international travel and other unknown sources. While it’s possible to flatten the curve using these control measures, getting to zero Covid-19 with them is more difficult.

It might be possible for some island countries, but New Zealand’s example shows that it’s then necessary to prevent the virus from being re-imported. This would probably require prolonged and severe travel restrictions and rigorous testing of passengers pre and post travel.

Given there’s little appetite for prolonged closure of borders, and community control measures alone aren’t enough to eliminate the virus, getting to zero isn’t currently possible. But it could be in the future if we use different approaches.

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 45.54 million, death toll at 1 188 017 - Reuters

More than 45.54 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1 188 017 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

The number of Covid-19-related hospitalisations hit record numbers in at least 14 European countries this week, as the second wave of the pandemic hits, according to AFP data compiled from official figures.

The worst-hit countries have been the Czech Republic, with 62 virus-related hospital patients per 100,000 residents, followed by Romania on 57, Belgium on 51 and Poland, 39.

The figures are based on hospital figures provided by 35 of the 52 European nations, including most of the EU nations.

In total, 135 000 Covid-19 patients are currently being treated in hospitals throughout those 35 nations, compared to less than 100 000 a week earlier.

The countries with the biggest registered increase were Serbia, with hospitalisations up 97 percent, Belgium up 81 percent, Austria up 69 percent and Italy up 65 percent.

Only Montenegro saw numbers drop, after a previous spike.

- AFP

US records record daily virus case numbers

The United States passes nine million reported coronavirus cases, breaking its own record for daily new infections for the second day in a row, according to an AFP tally based on official sources.

The US has seen a resurgence of its outbreak since mid-October, with numbers soaring just days before the presidential election.

Latin America, Caribbean surpass 400 000 Covid deaths

The Latin America and the Carribean, the region with the most cases, surpasses 400 000 deaths from the virus, according to an AFP tally based on official figures late Friday.

Belgium tightens lockdown restrictions

Belgium, the country with the world's worst coronavirus outbreak in terms of per capita cases, will impose tighter lockdown rules from Monday, closing non-essential businesses and restricting household visits.

Belgium has the most Covid-19 cases per capita in the world and has as many hospital cases now as at the peak of the pandemic's first wave in April.

More than 10 million cases in Europe

More than 10 million cases of the new coronavirus have been reported in Europe since it first hit the continent at the beginning of the year, according to an AFP tally based on health authority figures.

The region, with 52 countries, is now the third most affected in the world after Latin America and the Caribbean with 11.2 million cases and Asia with 10.5 million.

Experts discuss virus's origin: WHO

The World Health Organisation says international experts held their first meeting with their Chinese counterparts Friday to investigate the animal origins of the pandemic.

- AFP

US again shatters record number of daily new Covid-19 cases with 97,080

The US hit a record number of new daily coronavirus cases with 97,080 on Friday, as case numbers continue to grow much faster than testing, according to data from The Covid Tracking Project.

US stocks open lower amid anxiety over Covid-19, election

US stocks continued their downward trend on Friday on worries of rising coronavirus cases and the looming election.

Restrictions needed to battle Covid-19 in Europe, EU says

European Union Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Friday that EU countries should be ready to impose restrictions on people's lives to battle the spread of the new coronavirus throughout the continent.

"We need to pull through this, where needed, with restrictions on everyday life to break the chain of transmission," she told a video conference of EU health ministers, according to her speaking notes.

France and Germany, the bloc's largest countries, announced new lockdowns this week as infections in the continent passed the 10-million-case milestone and hospitals and intensive care units fill up again with Covid-19 patients.

Bars, restaurants, sports and cultural events have been restricted or closed in several other European countries.

- Reuters

Australia's extreme lockdown brought Covid-19 in its epicentre to zero, and possibly prevented 3rd wave.

At the peak of its coronavirus outbreak in late July, Australia recorded more than 700 daily cases.