The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, and the number of diseases associated with it, seems to be increasing worldwide. Africa is known to have a huge burden of disease, but little is known about the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. In our recent paper, we reviewed and analysed all published studies that assessed the vitamin […]

The adjustments to the 2020 budget partly cushion the initial blow of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s lockdown. But the relief is only temporary and measures to contain the growth in debt will bite hard in years to come. Some cried wolf about austerity budgets in South Africa after the global financial crisis in […]

Government has welcomed two high court judgments dismissing challenges related to the Disaster Management Act and its regulations. On 26 June, the Western Cape High Court dismissed an application that sought to challenge the constitutionality of the National Coronavirus Command Council as a subcommittee of Cabinet. In a separate case, the Gauteng High Court dismissed […]

Two nurses at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, yesterday shared the heartbreaking reality of their working lives right now, during these Covid-19 times… when a coronavirus cure is still but a dream, and being admitted to ICU is a nightmare for the patients, their family who can’t visit and the medical staff […]

The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in South Africa is increasing exponentially since the relaxation of stringent regulations, as the economy opens for more industries to operate, says the SA government.   South Africa recorded 103 more deaths and 5 688 new positive cases on Wednesday – the country’s single biggest jump since the Coronavirus […]

Two female officers and one senior male officer from the Tshwane Metro Police Department have tested positive for COVID-19. The 51-year-old, a senior superintendent and a 37-year-old female constable, tested positive on 17 June 2020 at Number 1 Madiba Street. The building was closed for two days to allow for the disinfection process to take […]

South African Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa has approved plans for the resumption of football. “The plans of the Premier Soccer League have been approved, considering the mitigation strategies and plans in relation to the level 3 risk adjusted strategy in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Ministry of Sport, Arts and Culture said […]

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille says the South African government has so far spent R17-million to procure quarantine sites. Responding to a question when Ministers in the Economic Cluster fielded oral questions in the National Assembly, De Lille said there was a need to find a bigger balance between finding private and […]

The government will need to borrow $7 billion from international finance institutions as one of the measures to cover the budget hole brought about by South Africa’s response to COVID-19, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said today during his supplementary budget. “Debt is our weakness. We have accumulated far too much debt. This downturn will add […]

South Africa’s economy is projected to contract by 7.2 percent in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Finance Minister Tito Mboweni. “This is the largest contraction in nearly 90 years,” he said tabling the Supplementary Budget Review. Inflation will likely register 3 percent in 2020. “Commodity price increases and a weaker […]

National Treasury has set aside R21.5 billion for COVID‐19‐related healthcare spending for health and frontline services, it was announced by the Finance Minister Tito Mboweni when he delivered the Supplementary Budget on Wednesday. The budget was necessitated by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that government would spend R500 billion to support the economy’s resuscitation following the […]

The first participants in South Africa’s first clinical trial for a vaccine against COVID-19 will be vaccinated this week. The first clinical trial in South Africa and on the continent for a COVID-19 vaccine was announced on Tuesday during a virtual press conference hosted by the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (Wits). Wits University is […]

South Africa’s COVID-19 infections have surpassed the 100 000 mark after 4 288 new cases were reported on Monday. The positive cases are now sitting at 101 590, while close to 2 000 people have lost their lives. Of the new 61 COVID-19 related deaths reported, 39 are from the Western Cape, 18 from the […]

South Africa recorded 4 621 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of infections to 97 302. Meanwhile, there are 53 additional fatalities of which 27 are from Western Cape, 17 from Eastern Cape, eight are from Gauteng and one from KwaZulu-Natal, bringing the death toll to 1 930. On Saturday, South Africa reached […]

At a time he was meant to be celebrating his 26th birthday, Brandon* found himself with a bad cough and a tight chest that at times made speaking or breathing, a struggle. (*not his real name) It was just over two weeks after South Africa had gone into lockdown, when Brandon first started experiencing a […]

Slowly but surely the lockdown measures are being relaxed. It was inevitable; living under stay-at-home conditions was unsustainable. But make no mistake, it’s far from normal in our hospitals. A month ago we reported that Groote Schuur was on the brink, as Covid-19 cases escalated. At that point the hospital was running seven wards with […]

“Think of it as the Amazon, the Alibaba or even the eBay of Coronavirus resources on the African continent, made in Africa by Africans, the fundamental difference being that on this platform, the buyer is not an individual but governments,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said. As chairman of the African Union, he said yesterday the new […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa says government relied on scientific advice, consultations and the experience of other countries when it made the decision to gradually ease lockdown. The President said this when he fielded oral questions from members of the National Assembly during a hybrid question and answer session on Thursday. “In deciding on when to begin […]

President Cyril Ramaphosa says government has started a process of implementing an economic recovery plan, which is coupled with preserving the livelihoods of South Africans and saving lives… and that it won’t take long for the country to recover. The President was speaking before the National Assembly, responding to oral questions via a virtual link […]

South Africa’s number of positive Covid-19 cases has today – Thursday 18 June 2020 – surpassed the total number of cases in China, where the pandemic is believed to have begun. South Africa is now featured in the Top 20 list of countries with the most coronavirus cases in the world. SA Health Minister Dr […]

Use of a widely available steroid called dexamethasone on patients in England, increasing their survival rate, has been hailed as a “breakthrough” across the world and as exciting news by the South African government’s COVID-19 task team. They have said that medical staff in the country should consider the use of  dexamethasone on patients on […]

South African youth from various formations have called on the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, to ensure that economic recovery from Covid-19 is just, green, inclusive and youth and gender-responsive. Creecy today hosted a virtual Youth Environment and Sustainability Dialogue, where young South Africans presented a wide range of ideas and suggestions […]

The Western Cape government’s Hospital of Hope, created at the Cape Town International Conference Centre, is the largest COVID-dedicated hospital in Africa. The wards with 862 beds was created in 26 days, with staff working 24 hours a day. The hospital opened on 5 June. WATCH the time-lapse video of how it all came together. […]

While the Eastern Cape is going through a health crisis, unable to deal with the COVID pandemic, the ANC’s “delusional” health MEC has been showing off 100 scooters that won’t be able to handle rural roads, according to the Demoractic Alliance. Instead of focusing on the crisis at hand, said Jane Cowley, DA Eastern Cape […]

Over the past seven days, COVID-19 cases in Gauteng have doubled, with hospital admissions increasing and 20 more deaths, according to Premier David Makhura. “Gauteng has entered a new period in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic is gaining momentum. We must face this reality head-on and mobilise all resources and energy to […]