COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 139 deaths, 8,078 new Covid-19 cases in past 24 hours

January 04 2022  - 21:45

SA records 139 deaths, 8,078 new Covid-19 cases in past 24 hours

SA recorded 139 Covid-19 related deaths in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day figure since the onset of the fourth wave.

The previous highest number of single-day deaths was 126, recorded on December 30, according to global virus tracking site worldometers.info.

According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on Tuesday, the 139 deaths took the total number of fatalities since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 to 91,451.

January 04 2022  - 18:58

South African Breweries may require staff to have Covid-19 vaccines

South African Breweries (SAB), part of Anheuser-Busch InBev, said on Tuesday it was looking at making Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for staff across its operations.

It is the latest company in South Africa to consider such a move. Firms including telecoms provider MTN Group, insurers Discovery and Old Mutual, and Dis-Chem Pharmacies have already said they would require employees to have Covid-19 shots, potentially opening themselves up to legal challenges.

January 04 2022  - 07:00

Do I need to re-test for Covid-19 before returning to work?

If an employee has been diagnosed with Covid-19, an employer may only allow them to return to work after the mandatory 10 days of self-isolation.

This is according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), which said the employee may need to undergo a medical evaluation confirming their fitness to work.

“At present, retesting people who have experienced mild illness, and have recovered from Covid-19, is not recommended,” said the NICD.

“A person is considered safe to return to the workplace and discontinue self-isolation if they are no longer infectious. This means they developed their first symptoms more than 10 days prior and have not experienced any symptoms for at least three days (72 hours). However, returning to work is dependent on the patient’s clinical state of health.”

January 04 2022  - 07:00

Zimbabwean schools to stay closed due to Covid-19: Mnangagwa

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa has indefinitely deferred the reopening of schools, citing high numbers of Covid-19 cases fuelled by the Omicron variant.

Schools were set to reopen on January 10.

In his New Year address, Mnangagwa said the opening of schools would be “delayed until further notice”, and only examination classes would be allowed to reopen on January 10.

January 04 2022  - 06:42

Australian regulator to review price hike in Covid-19 antigen tests

Australia's antitrust regulator said on Tuesday it has contacted suppliers of Covid-19 rapid antigen test kits to examine pricing pressures in the market, as calls grow louder for the government to make the tests free amid a severe shortage of the kits.

January 04 2022 - 06:20

India reports most Covid-19 cases since early September

India reported 37,379 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Tuesday, the most since early September as the Omicron coronavirus variant overtakes Delta in places such as the capital New Delhi.

Deaths rose by 124 to reach a total of 482,017. Total infections stand at 34.96 million.

Reuters

January 04 2022 - 06:15

Boris Johnson on Covid-19: UK will 'continue on same path'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the right measures were in place to tackle the surge in Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant given the high levels of vaccination in the country.

January 04 2022 - 06:10

FDA clears Pfizer booster for kids 12-15 years-old

The FDA authorized the use of a third dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years

January 04 2022 - 06:00

Drone shows long queues for Covid-19 tests in Israel

Drone footage showed endless lines of cars along the roads leading to COVID-19 testing centers in the cities of Jerusalem and Ashdod in Israel.