COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 8,515 new Covid-19 cases
December 20 – 19:51
KZN is SA's new Covid-19 hotspot as 8,500 cases and 105 deaths recorded in 24 hours
KwaZulu-Natal accounted for almost 2,500 of SA's more than 8,500 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).
The institute said on Monday 8,515 new cases were reported, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 3,316,585.
December 20 – 19:05
China must share more data on virus origins - WHO chief
China must be more forthcoming with data and information related to the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that there had been "many failures" during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a lack of rules or obligations under the WHO's current 2005 International Health Regulations.
"We need to continue until we know the origins, we need to push harder because we should learn from what happened this time in order to (do) better in the future," Tedros told a news briefing for Geneva journalists.
-Reuters
December 20 – 18:32
UK reports 91,743 new Covid-19 cases, second highest daily figure
Britain reported 91,743 new Covid-19 cases on Monday, the second highest figure since the start of the pandemic, as the Omicron variant continues to spread rapidly.
The number of deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test was 44.
-Reuters
December 20 – 12:00
Joburg writer stripped of passport and quarantined in Kenya
A Johannesburg-based writer has lambasted the Kenyan government for confiscating her passport at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi.
This after officials advised Janine Jellars she had tested positive for Covid-19.
Jellars said she had three negative results before she travelled. She said she was on the 12.10pm flight from Johannesburg on Sunday. It was delayed by an hour and she eventually landed at 6.30pm. She was forced to hand over her passport after a process she described as an “exhausting mess”.
December 20 – 11:10
President Cyril Ramaphosa returns to work after Covid-19 quarantine
President Cyril Ramaphosa has ended a week of self-isolation after testing positive for Covid-19, his office said on Monday.
He thanked “all South Africans and leaders and friends internationally” who conveyed their good wishes to him since the test result on December 12 and wished those infected with the coronavirus “a safe and speedy recovery”.
Minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele said Ramaphosa has returned to duty and will chair the final cabinet meeting for 2021 on Wednesday.
December 20 – 09:35
'The tiger will beat that virus' — Well wishes stream in for Mantashe
Well wishes have been streaming in for mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe after testing positive for Covid-19.
Mantashe tested positive on Saturday after experiencing mild symptoms.
This is the second time the minister has tested positive for Covid-19. He is currently in isolation.
December 20 – 08:32
China urges residents to avoid travel as holiday season looms
China urged residents of the country’s higher-risk Covid-19 areas not to travel unless necessary as the country goes into new year and spring festival holidays.
High-risk workers, including those at customs, medical facilities and imported frozen-food factories, should also avoid traveling during the holidays unless they have to leave the place of employment for longer than 14 days, the national health commission said on Saturday.
All travellers are required to have had Covid-19 tests 48 hours before departing, according to the commission. – Bloomberg
December 20 – 08:27
London mayor declares ‘major incident’ as Omicron cases surge
London mayor Sadiq Khan has declared a “major incident” due to the rapid spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant across the UK capital, according to a statement.
A major incident refers to an event or situation with a range of serious consequences which require special arrangements to be implemented by one or more emergency responder agencies.
It is “beyond the scope of business-as-usual operations, and is likely to involve serious harm, damage, disruption or risk to human life or welfare, essential services, the environment or national security”, the government said. – Bloomberg
December 20 – 08:13
KZN has most new Covid-19 infections, while hospital admissions rise to 87
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says 15,465 new Covid-19 cases have been identified in SA.
Most new cases are from KwaZulu-Natal (27%) followed by Gauteng (23%), the NICD said on Sunday evening.
The Western Cape accounted for 18%, the Eastern Cape for 8%, the Free State 7%, Mpumalanga 6%, Limpopo and the North West 4% each and the Northern Cape 2%.
December 20 – 07:50
Who should get a booster shot and when?
A booster shot, or a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, is a jab administered to maximise vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability.
Boosters in SA were given the green light earlier this month when the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) approved the Pfizer booster shot for everyone older than 18.
Sahpra received an application from Pfizer to amend the dosing schedule for its vaccine and had subsequently agreed to allow a third dose for individuals aged 18 years and older.
TimesLIVE