COVID-19 tracker

Global update:

• Global cases have surpassed 43.34 million, while the death toll has surpassed 1.15 million; recoveries are at 31.90 million.
• The US has 8.88 million cases, accounting for 20% of global cases; the death toll there is 230,510.
• India has 7.90 million cases and 119,030 deaths; Brazil 5.39 million cases and 157,163 deaths; Russia 1.51 million cases and 26,050 deaths.
• Spain has implemented a national curfew; Italy has introduced the tightest restrictions since May, while France has warned of another shutdown. 
• AstraZeneca resumed the Phase-3 trial of its coronavirus vaccine; J&J is preparing to restart its late-stage trial this week after getting FDA clearance. 
• J&J has indicated that the first batches of its vaccine may be available for emergency use by January. 
• Infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has said that “we will know whether a vaccine is safe and effective by the end of November, the beginning of December”.

Africa update:

• Africa’s COVID-19 cases remain relatively low, with confirmed cases at 1.71 million; fatalities are at 41,262.
• Morocco has 197,481 reported cases, Nigeria 61,992, Ghana 47,690, Kenya 49,721.
• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has indicated that hunger and malnutrition are worsening in parts of the African continent on the back of the pandemic. Low-income communities and those already stricken by continued conflict have been the hardest hit.
• The UN and the World Bank have warned that progress made in tackling child poverty could be negated by COVID-19. According to a study, one in six children were living in poverty even before the pandemic. There is thus a call for structural changes to be implemented by international governments to try and stop the increase in children in poverty, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

South Africa update:

• SA reached 100,000 cases on 22 June (in 110 days); it took a further 14 days to reach 200,000, 9 days to reach 300,000, a further 8 days to reach 400,000, 9 days more to breach 500,000, 20 days to reach 600,000. However, the daily rate of increase is now starting to ease.
• SA currently has the 12th highest caseload, with 715,868 confirmed COVID-19 cases, an increase of 1,622 new cases.
• COVID-19 deaths rose by 24 yesterday, to 18,968; 646,170 people have recovered from the virus, a recovery rate of 90.3%.
• Gauteng has the highest number of confirmed cases, at 227,193 (accounting for 31.7% of the total); 4,703 deaths have been reported. 
• The Western Cape has 116,150 (accounting for 16.2% of the total) and 4,325 deaths, while KwaZulu-Natal has 122,263 (accounting for 17.1% of the total) and 3,191 deaths.
• The Eastern Cape has 93,986 cases (accounting for 13.1% of the total) and 3,552 deaths.
• 4.69 million tests have been conducted since 5 March; 20,826 were in the past 24 hours.

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