For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines: Ramaphosa warns of threat to livelihoods as Covid-19 cases surge, 66% of the 13 155 new of Covid-19 cases recorded in Gauteng and, Health authority says coronavac application at an advanced stage

Ramaphosa warns of threat to livelihoods as Covid-19 cases surge

In his weekly letter to the nation today, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged South Africans to take extra precautionary measures against the Covid-19 virus.

He warned that all lives and livelihoods will be seriously under threat, as infections surge.

South Africa is now in the midst of a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, with Gauteng, by far, the hardest hit.

He stressed that the economy also faces challenges as the virus spreads as workers have to isolate or quarantine, as people stop going out for recreation or shopping, as tourism comes to a standstill, and as workplaces spend more money to prevent infections.

66% of the 13 155 new of Covid-19 cases recorded in Gauteng

Gauteng continues to bear the brunt of Covid-19, registering 66% of the 13 155 new cases recorded, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

The test positivity rate is 23.7% out of 55 593 new tests.

Of those, 8 640 were detected in Gauteng, followed by the Western Cape at 9%, North West at 6%; KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga at 4% each; Eastern Cape, Free State and Limpopo at 3% each; and Northern Cape accounting for 2%.

The majority of new cases were from tests in the private sector.

Another 112 people were reported to have died, and 611 were admitted to hospital for treatment.

Health authority says coronavac application at an advanced stage

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority stressed that it could not approve any vaccines if an application is not submitted to the authority, as South Africa trails in its roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines.

However, the SAHPRA revealed that applications have been received for the Sputnik V and Sinovac’s Coronavac vaccines and that the evaluation of the Coronavac application is at an advanced stage.

The Sputnik V application is a rolling review, which the SAHPRA says is a mechanism that facilitates the submission of data as it becomes available.

SAHPRA has not made a decision on the Sinopharm and Moderna vaccines, which have a World Health Organization Emergency Use Listing, as there have not been any applications for these vaccines in South Africa, the authority said.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter[PolityZA]