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Surge in Covid-19 cases in South Africa – with a warning for Gauteng

The number of new Covid-19 cases in South Africa climbed by 8,881 on Wednesday (June 9), new data from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases shows.

The NICD, a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, pointed to a 16.5% positivity testing rate, while the total number of confirmed cases in the country moved to to 1,712,939.

It has recorded 127 new deaths on Wednesday, taking the total to 57,310.

Worryingly, the country’s most populous and productive province, Gauteng, has recorded the bulk of infections at 5,111 – or 58% of the new cases.

South Africa should train all pharmacists to give vaccinations

South Africa has started the second phase of its COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The aim is to vaccinate essential workers, people in congregate settings such as nursing homes, those over 60 years of age and other vulnerable groups.

The overall target of the phased rollout is to vaccinate 67% of the population (approximately 40 million people) by the end of the year.

But targets are unlikely to be met. The first round went slowly, and while the second has picked up pace, vaccination numbers remain low. Hold-ups have included procurement and delivery of vaccines, the emergence of new variants, as well as the suspension of the use of some vaccines owing to safety concerns.

South Africa's health minister put on special leave over graft allegations

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa put his health minister, Zweli Mkhize, on special leave on Tuesday, after allegations that his department irregularly awarded COVID-19-related contracts to a communications company controlled by his former associates.

Before Ramaphosa's statement, the minister apologised for the public rage over the allegations, the latest in a series linked to coronavirus-related tenders that have angered a public suffering pandemic-induced economic hardship. Mkhize has denied any personal wrongdoing.

Ramaphosa, who has promised that graft during the COVID-19 pandemic will be dealt with harshly, said the special leave would enable Mkhize to answer an investigation into contracts between his department and service provider Digital Vibes.

Red alert: Southern Africa in the crosswinds of a third wave of rising infections and world-beating mortality

The new wave of Covid-19 is thought to be partly associated with the emergence of variants that are more transmissible.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least a dozen countries have so far confirmed the presence of a variant — now named the Delta variant — that was first detected in India late last year. These include Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

DA slams Gauteng health dept for paying Cuban doctors more than R32m for Covid-19 services

The Gauteng health department paid 28 Cuban doctors a whopping R32.5 million for a year of services in the province during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the payment included money for remuneration, accommodation and transport.

Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi disclosed the amount in a written response to questions from the DA.

In Focus: Global strategy to end cryptococcal meningitis in people living with HIV

Cryptococcal meningitis is the second biggest killer of people living with HIV after tuberculosis (TB). For decades it has flown under the radar – despite its high mortality rate – but it is finally getting the attention it deserves with the launch of a new global initiative to end deaths due to this fungal brain infection by 2030.

The South African Medical Association - Postal Address-The South African Medical Association P O Box 74789,Lynnwood Ridge Pretoria 0040, South Africa
Physical address The South African Medical Association, Block F Castle Walk Corporate Park Nossob Street Erasmuskloof Ext3 Pretoria 0181, South Africa www.samedical.org

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