Daily Covid-19 update: 806 more deaths takes total up to 35,140

SA has 1,278,303 total Covid-19 cases, while recoveries now stand at 1,030,930.

Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize briefs media about South Africa’s plans to fight the coronavirus before it reaches our shores, at the Southern Sun OR Tambo in Kempton Park, 1 March 2020. Picture: Neil McCartney

As of Wednesday, 13 January 2021, the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases is 1,278,303 with 18,555 new cases identified, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has confirmed.

806 more Covid-19 related deaths were reported, with 150 from Eastern Cape, 24 from Free State, 211 from Gauteng, 235 from Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN), 14 from Limpopo, 14 from Mpumalanga, 7 from Northern Cape and 151 from Western Cape.

This brings the total number of Covid-19 related deaths to 35,140.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the health workers that treated the deceased,” the minister added.

Recoveries now stand at 1,030,930 with a recovery rate of 80,6%.

Meanwhile a total of 7,043,680 tests have been completed with 76,202 new tests conducted since the last report.

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

Deadliest day in US

The death toll in the United States hits a new daily record of nearly 4,500, the first time it has ever topped 4,000.

Highest infection rate

Ireland’s infection rate is now the highest in the world with 1,288 cases per million people as the government demands all travellers test negative within 72 hours of arrival.

Jokowi jab

Indonesian President Joko Widodo – who is known as Jokowi – receives the country’s first jab live on television as the nation of nearly 270 million kicks off a mass vaccination drive.

Japan emergency expands

Japan is set to expand a state of emergency in greater Tokyo to seven more regions including the major cities of Osaka and Kyoto.

Ontario lockdown

Canada’s most populous province orders residents to stay home as projections showed the number of cases could soon explode, overwhelming hospitals.

Tunisia also

Tunisia announces a four-day lockdown and extended curfew to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the toppling of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Chinese province restricted

Heilongjiang province — home to the sealed-off city of Suihua and with a population of 37.5 million people – tells residents not to leave te region unless absolutely necessary and to cancel gatherings.

Lebanon aid

The World Bank approves a $246-million aid package to help 786,000 vulnerable Lebanese reeling under the pandemic and the country’s worst economic crisis in decades.

Test to travel

Air passengers bound for the US will be required to test negative within three days before their arrival as of January 26.

Korea sect leader cleared

The leader of a secretive church that accounted for more than half of South Korea’s cases early in the pandemic is cleared of charges of hindering the government’s virus prevention efforts.

Mask arrests

The South African government says police have arrested more than 7,000 people caught without face masks in public since the end of December.

Nearly 2 million dead

The pandemic has killed more than 1,963,557 million people worldwide, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT using official sources and information from the WHO.

The US is the country most affected with more than 380,821 deaths, followed by Brazil (204,690), India (over 151,569), Mexico (135,682) and Britain (83,203).

The number of deaths globally is broadly under-estimated. The toll is calculated from daily figures published by national health authorities and does not include later revisions by statistics agencies.

NBA gets tough

America’s National Basketball Association updates health and safety protocols in the wake of increasing player cases and game postponements as a video reveals that star player Kyrie Irving attended a family gathering.

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