COVID-19 WRAP | SA records 585 new Covid-19 cases

November 18 2021 - 21:48

Health department extends R100 vaccination incentive to 50-year-olds

The health department has extended the incentive offer of R100 grocery vouchers for first dose vaccinations to people in their 50s as of this Thursday.

Previously, these “Vooma Vouchers” were only available to people aged 60 and above, to make it easier for older people to get vaccinated by offsetting some of the costs they incur getting to the vaccination sites.

“Unfortunately, the uptake of Vooma Vouchers has been poor, with only 8,135 redeemed to date. We have also not seen a significant uptick in vaccinations among over-60s.

November 18 2021 - 20:02

SA recorded 585 new Covid-19 cases, 40 deaths in 24 hours

SA recorded 585 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Thursday.

Gauteng again bore the brunt of the new cases, with 372 of the infections being confirmed in the province. The next worst-affected province was KwaZulu-Natal, with 54 cases. The Western Cape was next with 40.

November 18 2021 - 11:37

Score! Grocery voucher with vaccination rolled out to over-50s

South Africans over the age of 50 who receive their first vaccination against Covid-19 can now receive a grocery voucher with their jab.

This was announced by the national department of health.

There are still more than 4-million people aged 50 and older who have not been vaccinated, and the department hopes the voucher incentive will help entice them.

November 18 2021 - 08:43

Religious organisation heads to court to declare ban on gatherings unlawful

An application by a Christian organisation seeking a declaration for the Covid-19 regulations around religious gathering to be unconstitutional is set to be heard in the Johannesburg High Court next week.

Freedom of Religion South Africa’s (FOR SA's) challenge to the complete nationwide ban imposed on religious gatherings by the co-operative governance and traditional affairs department (Cogta) in terms of the Covid-19 lockdown regulations earlier this year will be heard virtually from Monday until Wednesday.

“FOR SA is asking the court to define in which circumstances, and to what extent, government can restrict people from exercising their religious freedom rights guaranteed by section 15 of the constitution”, said FOR SA’s executive director, Michael Swain.

November 18 2021 - 08:29

600 days of lockdown: IRR asks Ramaphosa for answers on state of disaster extension

As SA hit day 600 of lockdown on Thursday, the Institute of Race Relations has challenged President Cyril Ramaphosa to provide answers on the continuous extension of the state of disaster, particularly amid record lows in Covid-19 deaths.

According to Gabriel Crouse, IRR’s head of campaigns, the extension of the state of disaster is “unconstitutional and arguably deceitfully framed”.

"As the IRR observed in a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, what is being called a 'state of disaster' is in actual terms a state of emergency. Calling it a different name allows the national coronavirus command council to ignore section 37 of the constitution."

November 18 2021 - 05:30

SA has spent 600 days under lockdown, will it ever end?