COVID-19 infections - The African Mirror

Jan

2021

Zimbabwe’s foreign minister dies after contracting COVID-19

ZIMBABWE’S foreign minister, Sibusiso Moyo, has died after contracting COVID-19, presidential spokesman George Charamba has announced. Moyo, a former army general who announced the military coup that led to the removal of the late long-serving leader Robert Mugabe in November 2017. Moyo died at a local hospital early on Wednesday, Charamba said. "The nation will be kept apprised of further developments regarding this untimely demise of the late minister, himself a decorated soldier and freedom fighter," Charamba said. Moyo was one of several generals who, after helping plot the coup, were rewarded with senior positions in President Emmerson Mnangagwa's cabinet…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

We have let the guard down and are paying the price – South African president

NEWS

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER SOUTH Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has put the blame squarely on the shoulders of fellow citizens whose failure to adhere to COVID -19 regulations has led to a dramatic increase in infections forcing the government to impose drastic measures. In a special address to the nation to reintroduce tough measures to stem the surge of the COVID-19 infections, Ramaphosa said South Africans had let their guards down and were now paying the price. “We have not been wearing masks. We are not washing our hands or sanitising. And we are not keeping a safe distance from others. …

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

The new coronavirus variant in South Africa: Are concerns justified?

COVID-19

SOUTH Africa has identified a new variant of the novel coronavirus, which authorities believe is driving a surge in COVID-19 infections that could overwhelm its healthcare system. Several countries, including Britain which has found the mutant variant in cases linked to South Africa, have banned flights from South Africa, disrupting holiday travel and frustrating tour operators. WHAT IS THE NEW VARIANT? The new variant, referred to as 501.V2, was discovered by a network of scientists around South Africa who have been tracking the genetics of the SARS-COV-2 virus. The variant appears to be focused in the south and southeast regions…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

South African health workers stretched as COVID-19 infections near 1 million

NEWS

SHAFIEK TASSIEM and WENDELL ROELF MATRON Annamarie Odendaal has cancelled all staff holiday on the COVID-19 ward at the private Arwyp Medical Centre in Johannesburg as a second wave of the coronavirus threatens to overwhelm South Africa's health system. "I called them back because we are in a peak period now, so it's not easy for the staff because they also want to go back to their family members," she told Reuters on the ward on Christmas Day. "Sometimes they are tired but they never say 'I can't come to work'. The patient is really always first for them." A…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Nigeria expects to get its first COVID-19 vaccine doses in January

COVID-19

FELIX ONUAH NIGERIA expects to receive its first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in January, the country's health minister has announced, but officials do not yet know which one they will get. Africa's most populous nation has not been as hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic as others on the continent such as South Africa, but it warned last week of a second wave of COVID-19 infections. Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said that Nigeria has a working group in place to handle vaccines, and is working with the COVAX programme backed by the World Health Organization. "We have 200 million citizens.…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

Nigeria may be on verge of second wave of COVID-19 infections warns health minister

COVID-19

FELIX ONUAH NIGERIA may be on the verge of a second wave of COVID-19 infections amid rising number of confirmed cases in Africa's most populous country over the last few weeks, the health minister has announced. Osagie Ehanire, speaking at a televised news conference in the capital Abuja, said 1,843 cases were recorded last week compared with 1,235 two weeks before that, and 1,126 the week before that. "We may just be on the verge of a second wave of this pandemic," he said. His comments came a day after South Africa said it had officially entered a second wave.…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

South Africa enters second wave of COVID-19, says health minister

COVID-19

SOUTH Africa has officially entered a second wave of the new coronavirus as the number of infections per day exceeds 6,000, the health minister said on Wednesday, raising concerns that restrictions to limit the spread could be tightened. Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize said in a televised address that infections stood at over 828,000 cases with deaths at more than 22,500, the most on the continent. Daily cases peaked at around 15,000 in July. "The increases are shown in about six of the provinces and that is why it is important for us to now recognise this is a second wave,"…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

UN in New York cancels in-person meetings due to COVID-19 infections

COVID-19

THE United Nations has cancelled all in-person meetings at its New York headquarters after five people in Niger's U.N. mission were infected with the coronavirus, diplomats said. After largely operating virtually since New York became a global COVID-19 hotspot in March, the 193-member world body had been holding some in-person gatherings again, with COVID-19 precautions such as requiring diplomats to wear masks, social distance and restricting the number of people at meetings. In a letter to member states late on Monday, U.N. General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir said the U.N. medical unit had recommended cancelling in-person meetings on Tuesday, pending…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

High COVID-19 infections at South African mental institution

COVID-19

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER ONE of South Africa’s largest mental institutions, the Sterkfontein mental hospital has a high number of COVID-19 infections, with 125 staff and 64 patients infected, information from the Gauteng Department of Health has shown. Gauteng Health MEC Jacob Mamabolo The statistics were revealed by acting Gauteng Health MEC Jacob Mamabolo in a written reply to questions by the opposition Democratic Alliance in the Gauteng Legislature. In a response to a question by the DA’s Jack Bloom, Mamabolo revealed that one of the infected staff died. However, Bloom said staff at the hospital had told him that there…

Oct

2020

By The African Mirror

One in 10 may have caught COVID, as world heads into “difficult period” – WHO

COVID-19

STEPHANIE NEBEHAY and EMMA FARGE ROUGHLY one in 10 people may have been infected with the coronavirus, leaving the vast majority of the world's population vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease it causes, the World Health Organization has said. Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergency expert, was addressing the agency's Executive Board, where the United States made a thinly veiled swipe at China for what it called a "failure" to provide accurate and timely information on the outbreak. But Zhang Yang of China's National Health Commission, said: "China has always been transparent and responsible to fulfil our international obligations." China maintained…