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Daily Covid-19 update: 21,610 new cases, 265 more deaths recorded
A further 580 hospital admissions were reported in the past 24 hours.
Health workers are seen at the Nasrec Field Hospital for Covid-19, 25 January 2021. Picture: Michel Bega
As of Saturday, the cumulative number of detected Covid-19 cases in South Africa is 2,179,297 with 21,610 new cases identified, the Department of Health confirmed.
This represented a 28% positivity rate.
265 more Covid-19 related deaths were reported, bringing the total number of deaths to 64,138. The total number of recoveries stood at 1,904,107 with a recovery rate of 87,4%.
The total number of vaccines administered in the country so far was 4,225,021.
A further 580 hospital admissions were reported in the past 24 hours.
Provincial breakdown
According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), majority of new cases came from Gauteng (50%) followed by Western Cape (11%) then Limpopo, which accounted for 10%.
Meanwhile, KwaZulu Natal accounted for 9%, North West accounted for 7%, Mpumalanga for 6%, the Eastern Cape and Free State each accounted for 3%, and the Northern Cape accounted for 1% of Saturday’s new cases.
77,117 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of tests that have been conducted to date in both public and private sectors to 13,848,194.
Global developments:
EU hits goal of 70% vaccines for adults
The European Union has hit its target of delivering enough coronavirus vaccine to cover 70 percent of the adult population, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday.
The 27 EU member state governments are responsible for administering the vaccines — and some are working much faster than others — but von der Leyen stressed: “The EU has kept its word.”
Russia’s virus deaths hit another pandemic high
Russia reports 752 coronavirus deaths Saturday, a national record of pandemic-related fatalities over a 24-hour period, as the country battles a third wave.
Russia has now set seven new pandemic highs for Covid-19 deaths in the last 12 days as it fights a surging outbreak driven by the highly infectious Delta variant and a sluggish vaccination campaign.
Record cases in S. Korea for 3rd day in a row
Seoul reported 1,378 new coronavirus cases Saturday, a record high for the third day in a row as South Korea prepares to impose its highest-level curbs in the greater capital area next week.
The country had previously been held up as a model of how to combat the pandemic, with the public largely following social distancing and other rules, but it was slow to start its vaccine roll-out due to supply shortages.
Opera superstar Netrebko reopens live performances in Athens
Russian operatic superstar Anna Netrebko makes a rare appearance in Athens on Saturday in an all-star concert that will mark the reopening of live performances at the Greek National Opera even as authorities sound the alarm over a resurgence in coronavirus infections.
Seydoux may miss Cannes after catching virus
French actress Lea Seydoux may miss the Cannes film festival — where she is appearing in four movies — after testing positive for Covid-19.
Rumours have been rife in Cannes for days that a big star had caught the virus. But the festival’s director Thierry Fremaux insists there is “no Cannes cluster”.
Fans banned at more Olympic venues
Japan’s northern Fukushima and Hokkaido regions have banned spectators from Olympic competitions in their areas, expanding unprecedented steps to hold the Games mostly behind closed doors due to the pandemic.
The announcements by their regional governors reversed a decision Thursday evening by Olympic organisers to save competitions outside the greater Tokyo area for live viewing.
No gathering for Euro final
London police warn England fans not to gather in large numbers in the British capital for Sunday’s Euro 2020 final at Wembley, with nationwide virus restrictions still in force.
Four million dead
The pandemic has killed at least 4,013,756 people since the virus first emerged in December 2019, according to an AFP compilation of official data.
The United States is the worst-affected country with 606,476 deaths, followed by Brazil with 530,179, India with 405,939, Mexico with 234,458 and Peru 193,909.
The World Health Organization says up to three times more people have died directly or indirectly due to the pandemic than official figures suggest.
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