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COVID-19 tracker 26 July 2021

SA eases to adjusted lockdown Level 3

Shireen Darmalingam

Vaccine update:

  • Globally, over 3.85 billion vaccines have been administered across 180 countries at a rate of 33.7 million doses a day.
  • Zambia has received 151,200 doses of the J&J vaccine from the US through the Covax facility.
  • The Ivory Coast plans to buy 3.5 million doses of the J&J vaccine by December.
  • Burkina Faso has received a donation of 150,000 J&J vaccines from the US.
  • Pfizer and BioNTech will partner with SA’s Biovac Institute to produce vaccines at a facility in Cape Town. The aim is to deliver more than 100 million doses annually to African nations.
  • Locally, 6.384 million vaccines have been administered to date; 20,392 vaccines were administered yesterday.
  • Vaccinations for SA 18-34 year olds will commence from 1 September. The president noted that SA has enough vaccines to last until the end of the year, with 31 million more vaccines due to arrive in SA over the next 2-3 months.

Global cases update:

  • Cases have surpassed 194.83 million, while the death toll has surpassed 4.17 million; recoveries are at 176.77 million.
  • The US has 35.19 million cases, accounting for 18% of global cases; the US death toll is 626,762. 
  • India has 31.41 million cases and 420,996 deaths; Brazil has 19.68 million cases and 549,999 deaths.
  • US infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci has warned that the US now faces a worst-case scenario of daily deaths reaching 4,000.
  • Booster vaccine shots may be needed for the most vulnerable. 
  • German politicians are considering the possibility of making vaccinations compulsory and implementing tougher restrictions on the unvaccinated.
  • France has protested similar plans despite new infections surging. 

Africa cases update:

  • Africa’s Covid-19 cases are at 6.52 million; fatalities are at 164,792.
  • Morocco has 579,272 reported cases, Nigeria 171,111, Ghana 101,170, Kenya 197,409.

South Africa cases update:

  • SA currently has the 17th highest caseload, at 2.377 million; 9,718 new cases were reported yesterday.
  • Active cases are at 149,865; Gauteng continues to lead the way, with 36,768 active cases followed by the Western Cape with 30,887.
  • Covid-19 deaths rose by 287 yesterday, to 69,775; 2.158 million people (or 90.8%) have recovered from the virus.
  • 14.56 million tests have been conducted since 5 March 2020; 36,569 tests were conducted yesterday.
  • The positivity rate is 26.6%.
  • President Cyril Ramaphosa has eased lockdown restrictions and moved the country to adjusted Level 3 as it passes the peak of the third wave.
  • The curfew remains from 10pm to 4am; schools are re-opening today.
  • Alcohol sales are now permitted; off-site alcohol sales will be allowed from 10am to 6pm from Monday to Thursday. On-site alcohol consumption can resume but must end by 8pm.
  • Interprovincial travel for leisure will resume from today.
  • Night vigils and after-funeral gatherings are still not permitted.
  • The president reinstated the Covid-19 Relief grant of R350 to the end of March 2022 and announced a R400 million state contribution to a humanitarian relief fund and support for uninsured businesses.
  • Excise tax payments by the alcohol sector have been referred for three months.

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