Pandemic conditions easing, but far from over
Shireen Darmalingam
Global cases update:
- Cases have surpassed 307.89 million, while the death toll has breached 5.5 million; recoveries are at 259.58 million.
- US cases, hospitalizations and fatalities accelerated last week.
- The US has 61.26 million cases, accounting for 19% of global cases; the US death toll is 859,356.
- India has 35.70 million cases and 483,936 deaths; Brazil has 22.52 million cases and 620,031 deaths.
- Australia has reported 100,000 new Covid cases in a single day for the first time.
- London’s public health chief has said that the Omicron variant “may have passed its peak” there.
- Hungary expects more than 13,000 daily infections and about 200 daily deaths during its the current wave.
- Greece has set 1 February as the deadline for booster jabs; those who have not received their booster jabs will be barred from most indoor venues.
- Globally, more than 9.45 billion doses have been administered across 184 countries at a rate of 37.4 million doses a day.
Africa cases update:
- Africa’s Covid-19 cases are at 10.2 million; fatalities are at 231,999.
- Morocco has 1.0 million reported cases, Nigeria 248,312, Ghana 150,874, Kenya 311,538.
- SA, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia and Libya are among the countries with the highest number of cases on the continent.
- Less than 10% of Africa's population has been fully vaccinated.
- Many countries initially struggled to access sufficient shots, and later faced vaccine hesitancy.
South Africa cases update:
- SA currently has the 18th highest caseload, at 3.526 million; 4,482 new cases were reported yesterday.
- Active cases are at 146,649; KwaZulu-Natal leads the way, with 60,339 active cases, followed by the Western Cape with 25,439.
- Covid-19 deaths rose by 82 yesterday, to 92,453; 3.286 million people (or 93.2%) have recovered from the virus.
- 21.553 million tests have been conducted since 5 March 2020; the positivity rate is at 17.6%.
- SA’s drop in new infections in recent days may signal that the country's Omicron-driven surge has passed its peak, according to medical experts.
- ICU admissions are significantly lower than those registered during the Delta wave.
- President Ramaphosa has called for SA to step up vaccinations.
- Nearly 40% of the adult SA population has been fully vaccinated, higher than in many African countries but still short of the SA government’s target.
- 28.329 million vaccines have been administered in SA to date; 4,056 vaccines were administered yesterday.
Read PDF