China continues widespread lockdowns

Global cases update:

• Cases have surpassed 517 million, while the death toll has breached 6.27 million; recoveries are at 472 million.
• The US has 83.58 million cases, accounting for 16% of global cases; the US death toll is 1.02 million. 
• India has 43.1 million cases and 524,093 deaths; Brazil has 30.56 million cases and 664,189 deaths.
• China is continuing with stringent, frequent and widespread lockdowns, as well as ongoing testing of residents to battle its latest outbreak.
• These lockdowns have affected Shanghai's port and stalled activity in major cities as well as further disrupted global supply chains.
• The WHO has released a report on excess deaths gone unreported, most of them from India.
• The WHO report noted that globally nearly 15 million people have died due to Covid, which overshoots by 13% the deaths usually expected globally over two years.
• Alongside India, countries with the highest total excess deaths include Russia, Indonesia, US, Brazil, Mexico and Peru.
• The WHO numbers for Russia are three-and-a-half times the country's recorded deaths.
• Globally, more than 11.7 billion vaccine doses have been administered across 184 countries at a rate of 10.3 million doses a day.

Africa cases update:

• Africa’s Covid-19 cases are at 11.98 million; fatalities are at 254,009.
• Morocco has 1.165 million reported cases, Nigeria 255,766, Ghana 161,222, Kenya 323,881.
• Fewer than one in six Africans have had two doses of a Covid vaccine; this may be due to hesitancy.
• Aspen Pharmacare may have to stop vaccine production at its SA plant.
• SA President Cyril Ramaphosa is working with his counterparts in Kenya, Rwanda, Egypt and Ghana to ensure that vaccines that will be used on the continent are bought from companies that manufacture vaccines here.
• However, Aspen noted that purchases from African governments alone would not be enough to save the vaccine production line in SA.

South Africa cases update:

• SA currently has the 30th highest caseload, at 3.841 million; 5,486 new cases were reported yesterday.
• Active cases are at 61,812; Kwazulu-Natal leads the way, with 24,183 active cases, followed by Gauteng with 18,059.
• There were 7 Covid-19 deaths reported yesterday; deaths are at 100,523.
• 3.679 million people (or 95,8%) have recovered from the virus.
• 24.675 million tests have been conducted since 5 March 2020; 21,692 tests were conducted yesterday; the SA positivity rate is 25,3%.
• 35.12 million vaccines have been administered in SA to date; 2,352 vaccines were administered yesterday.
• 17.891 million people, or 44.95% of the SA adult population, have been fully vaccinated.
• The health department announced last week that the public consultation period for the new regulations in the Health Act has been extended until 5 July.
• Limited regulations came into effect on 5 May, such as wearing face masks in public, restrictions on the number of people at gatherings, and international travellers being required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test in order to enter SA.

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