Covid-19 update: SA records 472 new cases and 62 deaths

As of Wednesday, the total number of Covid-19 cases identified in South Africa is 2.920,581, with 472 new cases reported in the past 24 hours.

This increase represents a 1.4% positivity rate.

The majority of new cases today are from Gauteng (22%), followed by Western Cape accounting for 19%. KwaZulu-Natal accounted for 14%; Northern Cape accounted for 13%; Free State accounted for 9%; Eastern Cape, North West and Mpumalanga each accounted for 7% respectively; and Limpopo accounted for 3% of today’s new cases.

According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, 62 Covid-19 related deaths have also been reported, bringing total fatalities to 89,049 to date.

18.440,973 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors.

There has been an increase of 29 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.

Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:

– Brazil senators against Bolsonaro –

A Brazilian Senate commission approves a damning report that recommends criminal charges be brought against President Jair Bolsonaro, including crimes against humanity, for his Covid policies.

– US panel greenlights Pfizer for young kids –

A medical panel of US government advisers endorses the Pfizer vaccine in five-to-11-year-olds, paving the way for younger children to get their shots within weeks.

– Merck deal for global access –

US drugmaker Merck & Co. announces a deal that could see generic versions of its anti-Covid-19 medication for people infected with the disease widely distributed in poorer countries.

– ‘Eye-watering’ failure of UK tracing –

The UK government largely wasted a mammoth £37 billion ($51 billion, 44 billion euros) on a test and trace programme that failed to control the spread of the virus last year, a report by lawmakers says.

– Australia travel ban over –

More than 18 months after its shutdown, Australia will lift a ban on citizens travelling overseas without permission, the government says, with the border set to open to skilled workers and international students by year’s end.

– Nobel ceremony in person –

The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, held online last year due to the pandemic, will go ahead in person in December with the 2021 laureates both in attendance, the Norwegian Nobel Committee says.

– Winter Olympics challenge –

Protecting the Beijing Winter Olympics from the virus is the “biggest challenge”, organisers say, as millions of people in China are under stay-at-home orders to contain small outbreaks 100 days before the Games.

Additional reporting by AFP