South Africa has recorded 12 979 new COVID-19 cases bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3 446 532. This increase represents a 28.1% positivity rate. “As per the National Department of Health, a further 126 COVID-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing total fatalities to 91 061 to date,” the National Institute for […]

You can watch Carte Blanche on Sunday 2 January in South Africa on DStv Now or stream it overseas in most countries from 4 January if you’re abroad. REPORTAGE Horse Therapy From a trusted companion during times of war, to championship racers and beloved family pets, horses are some of the most versatile domestic animals. […]

South Africa has recorded at least 9020 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24-hour cycle, with a positivity rate of 26%. This brings the total number of cases to 3 433 554. COVID-19 related deaths have increased by 81, with official fatalities now reaching 90 935. The excess deaths are reportedly more than double that […]

South Africa reported 21 099 new daily Coronavirus cases, the highest since the week began. This means the country now has 3 353 106 confirmed cases, while the death toll stands at 90 587 after 99 more people lost their lives. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), KwaZulu-Natal, which is currently the […]

We need a national project to improve the air we breathe in buildings and vehicles | By Gareth Kantor, Norman Khoza, Sean Chester and Garth Hunter Though vaccines seem less effective against the Omicron variant of Covid, they still protect us from serious harm and everyone should get vaccinated. But vaccination is not enough. A […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on scientists from fellow BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – to work alongside South African scientists in further researching the various characteristics of the COVID-19 virus and its mutations. The call for collaboration comes after the detection of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 in South Africa […]

South Africa has recorded 22 391 new COVID-19 cases, representing a 29.8% positivity rate. This means there are now 3 093 452 laboratory-confirmed cases since the outbreak, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Thursday. This as there has been 19 988 045 tests conducted. Gauteng recorded the highest number of infections after 11 […]

A PET scan machine used for diagnosing cancer patients at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital has been out of action for more than three weeks because of broken air-conditioning that causes it to overheat. This was revealed today by Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi in an oral reply to DA questions at a sitting of […]

South Africa reacted with outrage to travel bans, first triggered by the UK, imposed on it in the wake of the news that its genomics surveillance team had detected a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa has been monitoring changes in SARS-CoV-2 since the pandemic first broke […]

South Africa has reported 2 858 new COVID-19 cases, according to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) figures. This was 362 fewer infections logged than the previous day. According to the data, this takes the total number of registered cases involving COVID-19 to 2 961 406 since the outbreak. Gauteng remains the hardest-hit province […]

Renowned bioinformatician, Professor Tulio de Oliveira, has issued a plea for billionaires and financial institutions to help Africa and South Africa control and extinguish worrisome variants… such as the B.1.1.529 variant, identified in South Africa, which was confirmed on Thursday, and which apparently has over 30 mutations (compared to Delta which only had two). Prof […]

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, has confirmed that through collaborative efforts with private laboratories and the NGS-SA members, a new COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.529, has been detected in South Africa. Unfortunately it appears to have over 30 mutations (Delta only had two) and there are concerns […]

A survey conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that African people who have diabetes and contract COVID-19 have a significantly higher chance of dying. WHO Africa Region’s Dr Benido Impouma made the announcement at a media briefing ahead of World Diabetes Day on Sunday, 14 November. Africa has recorded at least 8.5 […]

Medical experts in SA are attempting to get the message out to South Africans that it is beneficial to take the COVID-19 vaccine, as they try to address vaccine hesitancy in the country which has been largely fuelled by social media posts and WhatsApp messages based on misinformation. Adverse side effects are one of the […]

South Africa is one of the leading countries in Africa in terms of COVID vaccine rollout, along with Mauritius, Tunisia and Morocco. It has, however, had its fair share of challenges. Shabir A. Madhi has been a key player in shaping the country’s response. Ina Skosana and Ozayr Patel asked him for an assessment of […]

South Africa administered 158 787 COVID-19 vaccines in the past 24 hours, bringing the total doses to 22 799 682. The Department of Health’s latest data shows that of the jabs administered on Wednesday, 145 828 were given to adults, while 12 959 were received by children aged between 12 and 17. In addition, the […]

South Africa has now passed the 21 million mark for total COVID-19 jabs administered since the start of the country’s vaccination rollout programme. This comes after 205 253 doses were distributed in the past 24 hours, pushing the total to 21 011 187 doses administered to 14 568 927 people. The Department of Health’s data show […]

The Department of Health on Friday announced that children aged 12 to 17 years old in South Africa are next in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from next week. “We are now ready to start vaccinations for this group of young people from the age of 12 to 17 years,” said Health Minister, Dr […]

A total of 34.7% of the adults in South Africa have received at least one dose of the Pfizer or the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine. According to the Department of Health, 19 668 177 doses have been administered to 13 799 325 eligible vaccinees since the start of the country’s inoculation rollout programme. […]

South Africa’s Department of Health has started issuing the country’s COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate to fully vaccinated adults. Below are the answers to many of the questions being asked, supplied by the Health Department. The system, which allows users to create a QR code as proof of vaccination, is in line with international best practice and […]

Over 10 million adults in South Africa have been fully vaccinated, as of Monday. This comes after 139 899 either received the one dose of the Johnson & Johnson or two-dose Pfizer vaccine. This means there are now 10 059 118 eligible citizens who are fully jabbed, which translates to 25.28% of the country’s adult […]

Over 260,000 more people have died in South Africa since May 2020 than expected. This is according to researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC), who estimate that 85 to 95% of these “excess” deaths are directly from Covid. This is nearly three times as high as the official Covid death toll published by the […]

PRETORIA: Following reports in local media on Tuesday that South Africa’s Digital Covid-19 Vaccination Certificates had been launched, many South Africans were frustrated when they unsuccessfully tried to download their new Vaccination Certificates… and were met by System Error messages. It turns out the reports were a little ahead of themselves, and the certificates are […]

South Africa has now crossed the 18 million mark for administered COVID-19 vaccine doses. This comes after the government distributed 184 324 in the past 24 hours. According to the Department of Health, this means the country has now given 18 073 784 vaccines since its rollout programme. Meanwhile, as of Monday, the number of fully vaccinated […]

Los Angeles-based South African expat Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong has announced the launch of an ambitious initiative to build the capacity for advanced health care in Africa. It’s the ultimate gift to the land he still loves (like many expats, ‘Jerusalema’ made him homesick!). It is an incredible gesture… and as President Cyril Ramaphosa said at […]