LIVE | President Ramaphosa to address the nation on latest lockdown, Covid-19 developments at 20:00

President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation at 20:00 this evening on developments in relation to the country’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, his office said in a statement.

The address follows meetings in recent days of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), the President’s Coordinating Council (PCC) and Cabinet.

ANALYSIS | Covid in SA: Where we are now, what's next and how two vaccine trials will tell our fate

It appears that the vaccine rollout will not significantly shield us from a winter wave.

South Africa’s second wave of Covid-19 infections is rapidly abating, with daily infections in apparent freefall.

The 7-day rolling average of daily infections peaked at 19 042 on the 11 January, and has dropped sharply to 8141 as of the 28 January. It will continue to drop, though it is unclear exactly how far.

Covid-19 vaccines can be distributed without corruption, freight industry says

South African freight operators have developed guidelines for the clearance process of vaccines in the hope that this can stamp out corruption in the distribution of Covid-19 vaccine doses.

Dr Juanita Maree, chairperson of the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff), believes corruption can be avoided during the vaccine distribution.

Her belief stems from operators in the extended supply chain having created a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the clearance process of international imports of Covid-19 vaccines.

NEWSLETTER | SA is honoured to have led the AU in the face of a pandemic

South Africa was honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead the African Union during a tumultuous period, when the organisation practically demonstrated the true meaning of the words African Union, writes Cyril Ramaphosa.

Africa did not sit by passively as the true extent and danger of the pandemic unfurled. From the earliest days of the pandemic and led by the AU, we swiftly developed a continental response strategy, driven by the Africa CDC and regional task forces.

Q&A: The vaccines are on the way. Here's what will happen when it gets here

The one million "Covishield" vaccine doses we're getting are produced under licence from AstraZeneca by the Serum Institute of India. Another 500 000 will arrive later this month.

The jabs are 70% efficacious in preventing Covid-19, research has shown, and two shots are required. The second shot needs to be given between four and 12 weeks after the first one — our ministerial advisory committee recommends 12 weeks.

The AstraZeneca jab's efficacy is lower than that of the Pfizer/BioNTech (95%) and Moderna (94.1%) vaccines, but higher than that of the Novavax (49.4% in South Africa) and Johnson & Johnson (57% in South Africa) vaccines.

But it's not really possible to compare the efficacy of these vaccines, because some, such as the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna jabs, were tested before new, more infectious variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, started to circulate. Those jabs have since been tested on some of the new variants and the efficacy dropped in some cases, specifically with the 501Y.V2 variant that was first identified in South Africa.

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As South Africa prepares to receive its first batch of Covid-19 doses, the death toll edged pass 44 000 on Sunday, according to official figures from the government.

"213 more Covid-19 related deaths have been reported: Eastern Cape 95, Free State 8, Gauteng 58, KwaZulu-Natal 23, Mpumalanga 17, Northern Cape 4 and Western Cape 8. This brings the total to 44 164 deaths," said Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.

Covid-19 infections climbed by 4 525, pushing the total cases to 1 453 761.

Our recoveries now stand at 1 299 620, representing a recovery rate of 89%.

#HealthSpotlight
This week, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize revealed details of the first phase of #COVID19 vaccinations.
Here are some highlights of his address. pic.twitter.com/HpbGtdActh

— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) January 31, 2021

- News24


First batch of coronavirus vaccines due to arrive in South Africa
South Africa, the continent’s worst Covid-hit country, is due to receive its first batch of coronavirus vaccines on Monday.

Initially scheduled for the end of January, the first one million shots of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine produced in India will be used to inoculate healthcare workers over the next three months. The second batch of 500 000 jabs is scheduled to arrive later in February.

Despite criticism from opposition parties and medical experts that the procurement process of the vaccine has taken too long, Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize has called the arrival of the vaccines from the Serum Institute of India “a massive achievement of unprecedented proportions”.

Once the consignment has undergone quality checks, which are going to take between 10 and 14 days, the country will begin its long-awaited, three-phase immunisation campaign.

Following the inoculation of front-line healthcare workers, other high-risk groups such as the elderly, people with comorbidities and essential workers such as minibus drivers, police and teachers are going to receive their shot. The third phase targets everyone else above the age of 18.

The arrival of the jabs comes a month after the United Kingdom was the first to roll out the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, and some two months after the UK and the United States began using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

#CoronavirusUpdate | The first shipment of 1 million doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) left the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on 31 January 2021.#COVID19 #SAIndiaRelations #COVIDVaccine pic.twitter.com/0qnLP4200n

— DIRCO South Africa (@DIRCO_ZA) January 31, 2021

Responding to accusations that the delay was caused by the South African government starting negotiations too late, Deputy Director-General for the National Department of Health Dr Anban Pillay told Al Jazeera: “We could not procure a vaccine without knowing that it is effective, safe and when it would be delivered. This info only became available in December for some vaccines. We had to wait to have this info before we make a financial commitment.”

Under its agreement, South Africa is paying $5.25 per shot, $2 more than what is going to cost when the same vaccine arrives within the deal the African Union (AU) has secured for African countries.

Professor Barry Schoeb, who chairs the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) on Covid-19, said South Africa prioritised the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine as “it is the one that was immediately available”.

Authorities aim to vaccinate 40 million South Africans by the end of 2021, or 65 percent of the population of almost 60 million. “But efficiency will depend on a whole lot of factors,” Mkhize acknowledged in a public web briefing about the vaccine last week, including the uncertainty of whether South Africa is going to actually receive the ordered doses.

While he promised the government would do its best to get as many people vaccinated as possible, “many other countries are currently not getting the supplies they ordered”, the minister cautioned.

According to official sources, 21 million shots of the Pfizer (12 million) and the Johnson & Johnson (nine million) vaccines have been secured through collective programmes such as the World Health Organisation-backed COVAX scheme and the AU, as well as bilateral deals with suppliers.

Meanwhile, Mkhize told a Sunday newspaper another 20 million shots had been ordered by Pfizer, taking South Africa’s expected supply to more than 40 million doses.

“These vaccines are secured and awaiting manufacturers to submit final agreements with details of delivery dates and exact amounts,” Mkhize told The Sunday Times.

The South African government has reportedly secured another 20 million vaccines from Pfizer.https://t.co/yD2qCHTezp

— News24 (@News24) January 31, 2021

In January, new daily infections peaked at more than 20 000, the vast majority of whom could be traced back to a new strain identified last year.

The potent new 501Y.V2 variant is thought to be 50 percent more transmissible than previous variants, while some studies have shown it to be relatively more resistant to existing vaccines.

Whether the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is effective against it is currently being studied, with results expected in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the government has launched a social media campaign – using hashtags such as #VacciNation and #ListenToTheExperts – to debunk myths and rumours about Covid-19 and vaccines that have been widely circulating.

#ListenToTheExperts
Professor Barry Schoub demystifies the #Covid19 vaccine microchip myth. pic.twitter.com/HY7rskyWfL

— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) January 30, 2021

“We are going to ensure that there is adequate information available to the communities to remove the doubts about the vaccines,” said Mkhize.

The Department of Health is currently conducting a study to find out the level of information about vaccines among healthcare workers, as some appear apprehensive of getting inoculated.

“People are scared. They talk about 5G, triple 6 and microchips,” said a nurse working at a clinic near central Johannesburg. According to the nurse’s information, online training of nurses will begin on Monday.

“Healthcare workers have not been informed enough about the vaccine,” said Sibongiseni Delihlaso, from the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa.

“It is them who will be driving this on the ground. How are these people going to convince patients to get the vaccine if they are not convinced?”

- Al Jazeera

SA's Covid-19 vaccine rollout set to take off

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza will on Monday receive South Africa’s first consignment of Covid-19 vaccine.

The arrival of the first consignment at OR Tambo International Airport marks the start of the vaccine rollout which Ramaphosa described as the largest and most complex logistical vaccine undertaking in South Africa’s history. 

The aim of the vaccination programme is to achieve immunity across the population.

The scale of delivery is unprecedented in terms of the number of people who have to be reached within a short space of time.

The first phase of this rollout programme will prioritise around 1.2 million frontline health workers.

Mabuza is heading government's vaccine programme, which is focused on procurement, distribution, actual vaccination, monitoring, communication and mobilisation.

TAKE A LOOK | SA's first shipment of vaccines is on its way - with Mandela, Gandhi 'looking on' | @BISouthAfrica https://t.co/EcnKp2Rf5C pic.twitter.com/SLyzOQA3og

— News24 (@News24) January 31, 2021

SA secures another 20 million Covid-19 vaccine doses - report

The South African government has reportedly secured another 20 million vaccines from Pfizer, said Health Minister Zweli Mkhize according to the Sunday Times.

This brings the total number of doses secured to around 42 million. Authorities were waiting for manufacturers to submit final agreements.

The first set of vaccines, earmarked for healthcare workers, is expected to arrive in the country on Monday.

A total of 1 449 236 cases have been reported with 5 297 new cases in the past 24 hours. A reported 1 292 921 people have recovered and there are 43 951 reported deaths, 318 in the past day. This means there are an estimated 112 364 active Covid-19 cases.

Egypt to receive first AstraZeneca vaccines Sunday

Egypt said Saturday the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca would arrive on Sunday.

The Egyptian authority in charge of the acquisition of pharmaceuticals announced "the arrival of the first batch of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine tomorrow, Sunday 31 January 2021", without specifying the number of doses.

Last week, officials said they had ordered 20 million doses, according to Egyptian media.

Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country with around 100 million people, has recorded nearly 165 000 Covid-19 cases, including more than 9 200 deaths.

But some health officials suggest the reported infection rate is much lower than actual figures.

Cairo started vaccinating healthcare workers using China's Sinopharm jabs on 24 January, the first doses of which were delivered in December.

On Friday, Health Minister Hala Zayed said that 1 315 medical workers had received a first dose. Jabs will be rolled out next to the elderly and people with chronic health conditions.

AstraZeneca was initially praised for the speed of its vaccine development, but is now being criticised for delays in delivery to the European Union due to production problems.

Germany's Robert Koch Institute has also questioned the effectiveness of the jab among the over-65s, citing gaps in test data.

-AFP

Govt's Covid-19 vaccine plan: What the DA is fighting for in court

The DA says transparency is critical for the success of the Covid-19 vaccine plan. It lodged an urgent court application to this end on Friday.

What the latest results from the Novavax and J&J Covid-19 vaccine trials tell us

On Thursday, clinical trial results for the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine, named NVX-CoV2373, revealed that it was 89% effective at preventing Covid-19 based on results from a UK trial.

In the South African trial, the vaccine was found to be less effective due to the new coronavirus variant circulating in the country.

Today's big Covid-19 story | J&J Covid-19 vaccine only 57% effective on SA patients

Johnson & Johnson on Friday said its single-dose vaccine was 72% effective in preventing Covid-19 in the United States but a lower rate of 66% was observed globally in the large trial conducted across three continents and against multiple variants.

In the trial of nearly 44 000 volunteers, the level of protection against moderate and severe Covid-19 was 66% in Latin America and just 57% in South Africa, where a particularly worrying variant of the novel coronavirus is circulating.

Several studies have emerged this month showing that a South African variant of the coronavirus has mutated in areas of the virus that are key targets of vaccines, reducing their efficacy.

Importantly, though, in a sub-study of 6 000 volunteers in South Africa,

The J&J vaccine was 89% effective at preventing severe disease. Ninety-five percent of cases in the South Africa portion of the trial were infections with the South African variant. A mid-stage trial of a Novovax Inc coronavirus vaccine in South Africa also showed lower efficacy in the country.

It proved to be 60% effective among volunteers who didn't have HIV. In a separate, late-stage trial in the UK, the vaccine was 89.3% effective.

In the J&J trial, which was conducted in eight countries, 44% of participants were from the United States, 41% were from Central and South America and 15% were from South Africa.

More to follow

How misconceptions are delaying national Covid-19 antibody survey

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), which is heading up a nationwide Covid-19 antibody survey, has reiterated that the survey is not aimed at vaccinating people. The HSRC had to emphasise its objective after fieldworkers were chased away from communities while conducting the survey. 

 

More than 125 000 excess deaths recorded during Covid-19 – SAMRC

South Africa has recorded an excess of more than 125 000 natural deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a report by the SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC). The report, which was released on Thursday, noted that since 3 May 2020, the cumulative number of excess deaths from natural causes had reached more than 125 00 by 23 January 2021. 

Govt's coronavirus council is lawful and constitutional, SCA confirms

There can be no more confusion on the legality of President Cyril Ramaphosa's National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) - it is lawful and constitutional.

This was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Appeal which upon hearing an appeal of a Western Cape High Court ruling dismissed an application by a group of concerned residents who challenged the lawfulness of the establishment of the NCCC and validity of the lockdown rules.

SA's latest Covid-19 numbers

The cumulative number of Covid-19 cases identified on South Africa is 1 437 798.

"Regrettably, 555 more Covid-19 related deaths have been reported: Eastern Cape 150, Free State 10, Gauteng 70, Kwa-Zulu Natal 249, Limpopo 7, Mpumalanga 21, Northern Cape 3 and Western Cape 45. This brings the total to 43 105 deaths," a statement said.

The recoveries now stand at 1 272 197, representing a recovery rate of 88.3%.

Some final thoughts from our reporters

As we reach the tail end of the webinar, may main takeaway is that the first batch of vaccines will arrive on 1 February, but then remain in storage for 14 days.

Effectively then, the actual rollout to health care workers will only start around mid-to late-February.

- Kyle Cowan

The briefing has been muddled a bit by technical difficulties, concluding now with a nursing manager in the Eastern Cape Department of Health with 41 years of experience who gives a sobering account of the situation on the ground, says she has never experienced infection rates like this and is now worried about keeping her family safe.

Some new detail has emerged from this briefing on the roll out and how it will be funded, while some details have been repeated. On a side note, it's lovely to see how many high-level women are involved in the roll out.

- Azarrah Karrim

I am sorry, but they have now lost me. The point of this webinar was to share information about phase one of the vaccine rollout strategy.

To some degree, this has happened. But its not succinct, not clearly presented and we are now lost in a whirlwind of words, not all of them relevant.

- Kyle Cowan

This is interesting. Private providers will "purchase" vaccines from a central distributor where they will vaccinate uninsured persons. Dr Thulare says they will pay a "Single Exit Price".

I am not really sure why it will work this way, and it may require some further digging.

- Kyle Cowan

JUST IN | No one will have to pay for the vaccine upfront

Dr Aquina Thulare says the vaccine will be delivered free at the point of care. Funding for this will come from the fiscus and also from private sources. Vaccines will be supplied to public health facilities, and government will be able to claim for patients who have medical insurance. 

For those with medical aid, she says medical aid schemes will be obligated to pay for vaccine shots, as part of their Prescribed Minimum Benefit.

Kyle Cowan writes: We are now lost in the PowerPoint doldrums, but Dr Thulare is sharing some important information. More than 7 million people are on medical aid, and their vaccines will be covered as a prescribed minimum benefit. More than 32 million people will be vaccinated by government.

Azarrah Karim adds: Thulare on the funding, cost recovery and service platform, says the Ministerial Advisory Committee recommended that 65% or 40 million people in SA need to be vaccinated to achieve heard immunity. I have spoken to experts, however, who say this could take years to achieve due to a global scarcity of vaccines. Thulare mentions sources from which government will procure vaccines, but says she will not elaborate further on this. To relieve the burden of the roll out – which will be the biggest SA has seen in its history – government needs to collaborate with private sector. Partnering with the mining sector is a great step to hopefully effectively roll out the vaccine.

Uninsured persons will be able to receive their vaccinations at public facilities. The costs will be covered by the Government. #FightCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/Vg8PoUMUBc

— NICD (@nicd_sa) January 27, 2021

What you need to know about the vaccine rollout:

Want to know more about South Africa's #COVID19 vaccine procurement and rollout strategy? Get more information from this comprehensive guide. #VaccineStrategySA pic.twitter.com/PYfx26zDW4

— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) January 27, 2021

Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela has announced a key Med Safety app, which will enable tracking of adverse effects from vaccination.

So far, initial studies have shown very low levels of allergic reactions, despite mountains of misinformation about the vaccines online.

- Kyle Cowan

South African Health Products Regulatory Authority chief executive Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela is setting out how the emergency use approval process works.

Tonight is the first time that health minister Mkhize mentioned another key approval - the GMO permit - in public, and then only to say normal requirements for public input have been waived. Its telling.

It appears that health officials are very self-congratulatory about the imminent arrival of the first vaccines from the SII.

It strikes me as odd, considering what we know about the extensive delays around initiating discussions with vaccine makers. Here's a timeline that sets the delays out.

- Kyle Cowan

Now Professor Koleka Mlisana of the National Health Laboratory Service, is giving us a lesson on misinformation around vaccines and Covid-19.

Not to be flippant, because this kind of information is important to fight anti-vaccine sentiments and conspiracies, but we are here to hear about the first phase of the vaccine rollout - and so far I am not filled with confidence.

She is talking now about myths surrounding vaccines.She says there is a lot of talk about 5G and viruses, saying that viruses cannot travel on radio waves or via networks. She has assured the public that vaccinations save lives.

She urges the public to be discerning about information circulating on social media. 

Professor Koleka Mlisana attempts to dispel serious misinformation and fake news surrounding the vaccine which, together with a lack of communication around the vaccine by government, has contributed to vaccine hesitancy in the country. According to an IPSOS survery, 47% of South Africans said they would not take the jab.

Had government been more forthcoming and clearer about this earlier on, maybe it could have served to help combat vaccine hesitancy. Experts, however, have lauded SAHPRA’s approval process as extremely trustworthy.

- Kyle Cowan & Azarrah Karrim

We are roughly 35 minutes into this briefing, and so far we were told the first batch will arrive by 1 February as a result of key regulatory requirements being waived, some repeated information on what types of vaccines there are, and a short presentation on the electronic system that will be used to track the vaccine rollout.

But we are still none the wiser how the rollout will happen in practical terms. Will healthcare workers be vaccinated at work? At central locations?

- Kyle Cowan

Doses for Phase One of the #VaccineStrategySA will be delivered using three platforms, including work-based programmes, mobile teams and vaccination centres. pic.twitter.com/rxUTOBztDZ

— Department of Health (@HealthZA) January 27, 2021

We are seeing details for the first time of the Electronic Vaccine Data System (EVDS), which is an electronic platform that will track who has been vaccinated, and you will be able to download a vaccination certificate.

This is for health care workers for now, and will likely be rolled out to the general public as phases of the vaccine rollout advance.

The government will also allow for self-registering for vaccines online. 

The EVDS will also act as a scheduler - healthcare workers will have to register and later they will be notified where and when they will be vaccinated. The system conforms to international data security standards.

- Kyle Cowan

Professor Barry Schoub, head of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19 vaccines, is taking us through the various types of vaccines and how they are made. 

Schoub explains the various make-ups of the different vaccines currently on the market. This is important as it will impact logistical planning around distribution of the vaccine, like storage and administration, which the National and provincial health departments will need to take into account during the rollout.

- Kyle Cowan & Azarrah Karrim

BREAKING | Vaccines to arrive on 1 February

Mkhize says the flight carrying the first one million doses from India will leave on 31 January and land on 1 February. Members of the media will be invited.

Once the vaccines arrive, they will be put into isolation and looked at by health officials, which will take maximum 14 days. From then, they will be distributed to all provinces.

He says this goal will allow the country to reach herd immunity by the end of the year.

Mkhize says the government is "cleared" from a regulatory point of view to go ahead with the inoculation campaign.

He said the Department of Agriculture waived a 30-day public input period usually required before the Genetically Modified Organisms Registrar can approve a permit for the importation and distribution of some vaccines. In this case the waiver is for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be procured from the Serum Institute of India.

This will remove red tape for the rollout of the vaccine. 

News24's Kyle Cowan writes: Mkhize's opening remarks seem to suggest that the health department has vaccine procurement under control. Its key to note that SA will only get 1.5 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, enough to vaccinate 725 000 of the country's 1.2 million healthcare workers.

Doses for Phase Two and Phase Three of the #VaccineStrategySA will be delivered through a variety of platforms including mobile clinics and vaccination centres. pic.twitter.com/uc98mIS3jr

— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) January 27, 2021

Mkhize has begun his address

Mkhize to update the country on the vaccine rollout

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize will at 20:00 hold a briefing on phase one of the vaccine inoculation. He will be joined by health experts and officials from his department.

This comes as the country expects its first batch of vaccines soon. The country has, however, seen a decrease in the number of daily deaths and cases since the government enforced a tighter lockdown last month.

The country remains in Level 3 lockdown, which means a strict curfew and a curb on the sale of alcohol.

SA is also grappling with the resumption of the school programme, and the academic year for schools has been postponed. The government has also spoken out against fake news and conspiracy theories surrounding vaccines.

Recently, it was announced that SA is experiencing a new variant of the Covid-19 virus, which is said to be more transmissible. Several countries have outright banned SA visitors, and many are forcing South Africans to self-isolate when arriving in their country.

Meanwhile, it was today announced that SA would allow doctors to prescribe ivermectin for use to combat Covid-19 in a “controlled, compassionate” programme. SA’s medicine regulatory body said, however, that clinical trials are still necessary. Ivermectin, which is used to treat animals, has been hailed as a “miracle cure” for Covid-19 by some, but has also been greeted with extreme scepticism.

Follow it live on News24