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‘Gauteng Will Look Like India’, Experts warn
29 June 2021 Volume 09, 23 May 2017, Week 21
Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane on Saturday confirmed the presence of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in South Africa. She said that previously, the department said the country’s third wave was unlikely to pass the peak of the second wave of infection – based on the assumption that the country did not have a new variant. “Unfortunately, this is no longer the case – our scientists, after their sequencing experiments, have discovered that we have a new variant that is prevalent in our country … this new variant is called Delta,” she said. The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was first detected in India. Thousands died in that country from the variant which also saw relatives scrambling to get hospital beds for sick family members in the densely populated country. According
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to research by the Network for Genomic Surveillance in South Africa (NGS-SA), the Delta variant is present in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape. Preliminary estimates from genomic data and epidemiological studies suggest Delta might be significantly more transmissible than other variants of concern, including Beta, read the presentation document delivered by Professor Tulio de Oliveira and Dr Richard Lessells from the KwaZulu- Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP). The Beta variant ( B.1.351) was initially first discovered in South Africa. According to the presentation, the Delta variant shows as yet no signs of disease severity but there is a risk of reinfection, especially in those who have had the Covid-19 Beta variant. According to the researchers, vaccine effectiveness data from the United
Kingdom “suggest good protection against symptomatic disease, and very high levels of protection against hospitalisation, after two doses of Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine and J&J (shows effectiveness too)”. Earlier in June, Reuters reported that Soumya Swaminathan, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist said the Delta variant was becoming the dominating Covid-19 variant across the world. Currently, 85 countries have now confirmed the presence of the Delta variant. In her weekly newsletter, general practitioner Dr. Sheri Fanaroff said the Delta variant spreads more easily – and more quickly – among people. “In other words, close contact doesn’t necessarily need to be for longer than 15 minutes for someone to get infected. Any close contact, especially in a closed room, or any contact without masks, is significant,”
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she wrote on 26 June. The Delta variant’s symptoms may be different to other strains of Covid-19 she said. Symptoms include: headaches, coughs, sore throat, body pains and runny nose, sneezing, and congestion. “Gauteng will look like India” warned Professor Francois Venter, a communicable diseases expert at Wits University, in News24 last week. Doctors have already raised warning alarms about the increased cases in Gauteng – which has seen the highest number of infections last week during the daily Covid-19 confirmed cases announced by the Health Department. Daily Maverick reported doctors are under severe pressure and that hospital beds are now running out. Oxygen usage has also increased. On Friday, Kubayi-Ngubane called for consequences for those who organised gatherings that exceed 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors. Last week, Daily Maverick reported supporters of suspended ANC SecretaryGeneral Ace Magashule organised a rally outside the high court in Johannesburg while his suspension case was held virtually. Then on Friday 25 June, the EFF held its “March to Save Lives” to the Tshwane offices of the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) to demand the regulatory authority approve the Sputnik V and Sinovax vaccines from Russia and China respectively. Both events took place in Gauteng. Police spokesperson Colonel Brenda Muridili told News24 the police would hold the convenors of the march responsible for exceeding the gatherings regulations, but they did not want to take action against the marchers, because they wanted to avoid a “chaotic situation”.
What You Should Know About The Delta Variant WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR
According to health experts, the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreads more easily because of mutations that make it better at latching onto cells in our bodies.
People who were previously infected with the Beta variant do not have full protection against the Delta variant, and may get re-infected.
It has been detected in five provinces: the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape.
Infections among children are more common with the Delta variant, as opposed to the Beta variant.
It is RAPIDLY displacing the Beta variant (the variant discovered in the Eastern Cape and had contributed to the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases under the second wave)
For now, data suggests that the Delta variant is not more severe
The Delta variant is believed to be twice as contagious as the Beta variant.
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29 June 2021
Malema Brushes Aside Superspreader Fears At EFF
‘March To Save Lives’ Hundreds of EFF supporters and red berets leader Julius Malema descended on Pretoria — in apparent violation of lockdown regulations on gatherings and safety protocols — in a “march to save lives” and demand approval of the Chinese and Russian Covid-19 vaccines for use in SA.
They gathered outside the offices of the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) — the body tasked with regulating health products in SA. Some wore face masks, some masks dangled on chins and others did not wear masks. While some wore face masks, others did not. Party leader Julius Malema demanded that Sahpra respond to their appeal for vaccinations within seven days or face a sit-in at the home of its CEO. “We want more vaccines available. They are telling us that this event is a superspreader but it is not true … because we are meeting here outdoors for few minutes, from there we are going home and we comply with Covid regulations. “Schools are on as we speak, our schools have more kids than this march.” EFF spokesperson Vuyani Pambo said they had declared war and would make sure they got the vaccines. “Fools will ask us why we are coming out when there are high infections. The infections are affecting us from home, we are standing up. This is a war and we have declared it as one and we are acting as people who are in the war. We are
dying in numbers, we are tired of seeing our loved ones die like flies,” he said. Party leader Julius Malema denied the gathering was a potential superspreader event. Pambo said the government had been given enough time to respond to the pandemic. “Lockdowns were there, they were put in place so that we can give the government an opportunity to make sure that our healthcare system is in order. We gave the government the chance to make sure that the are enough beds, we gave the government a chance to go procure oxygen tanks. “We cannot go on with lockdowns, we have to respond with vaccines. There were no vaccines when we went to the first lockdown, there are vaccines now. Why do you want to shut us down, why do you want to imprison us in our homes. We will not be committed to the grave early by this government,” he said.
Absa Customers Hit By Payday System Outages
Absa customers were left frustrated on Friday morning as the bank’s systems crashed on payday.
Customers unable to perform any transactions took to social media to share their frustrations.
Its online banking platform and app stated that Absa’s systems were temporarily offline. “Don’t worry, we are busy working on it and will be up and running shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience,” read the message on its platforms. Technical glitches at local banks are becoming a common occurrence, leaving their customers stranded on some of the busiest days of the month. For example, Standard Bank customers also had to deal with system blackouts around paydays in April. During the launch of its latest annual report in May, the Ombudsman for Banking Services said offline apps and online banking platforms were becoming a source of frustration for customers.
ABSA LEGIT PLANNED MAINTENANCE DURING PAY DAY (ALLEGEDLY) AND THEIR SOLUTION IS FOR US TO GO OUT IN THIS 3RD WAVE AND QUEUE AT ATMS. — ASILI (@THEBLACK_INGWE) JUNE 25, 2021 In a written response, the bank said that its technical teams were working hard to restore the bank’s digital channels as quickly as possible and to identify the root cause. “Importantly, our ATMs are not affected and customers can still make in-store and online purchases using their cards while we resolve this issue,” it said. Absa added that its debit order processing systems were not impacted by the outage.
Sars To Close Its Tax Branches Temporarily For Visits
With the rising case numbers and the onset of the third wave peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the SA Revenue Service (Sars) has decided to close its tax branches temporarily for ’’physical visits’’ from Thursday, July 1.
’’In terms of the Disaster Management Act, the South African Revenue Service remains an essential service. We have always stressed the importance of balancing the continuity of this service with the risk of transmission,’’ Sars said in a statement on Thursday evening. Sars hopes physical branch visits will be able to resume from August 16, but will
review the situation continuously. It said its digital platforms, as demonstrated during the peak of the second wave, allows taxpayers to continue to fulfil their obligations online. ’’Importantly, the temporary closure of the tax branches will not affect the start of the filing season for individuals who traditionally file via eFiling or the Sars MobiApp. These taxpayers are encouraged to continue doing so digitally, starting from 1 July, 2021,’’ Sars said. ’’Branch filing will NOT commence on 01 July, 2021. At this stage, we plan to commence physical branch visits on 16 August, 2021, but will review this
continuously. Taxpayers are advised not to come to a Sars branch. The branches will be closed until an announcement is made confirming the reopening date. ’’During the branch closures, taxpayers who require assistance to file online will be assisted telephonically with the support of dedicated SARS staff. ’’All customs ports of entry will be open for front-line customs operations, but not for face-to-face client engagement other than for clearance and inspection purposes.’’ Sars reminded members of the public of the following: Bookings for virtual appointments may be made via the SARS website by following
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the link below: Taxpayers can use our digital platforms by visiting The Sars Contact Centre (0800 00 7277) will continue to service any queries from members of the public.
29 June 2021
29 June 2021
South Africa Vs. Argentina:
Who Will Win? Now that sporting events around the world are slowly making their way back onto our calendars, fans of rugby are able to once again indulge their passion. And what better way to get started than a match between two of the world’s strongest and most interesting rugby sides? South Africa and Argentina will go head-tohead soon and it’s a great chance to become immersed in a nail-biting game once more. This blog post will delve into the critical question: who is likely to emerge victorious when the two sides meet? When is it happening? First off, it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the details of the game. It’s going to take place in August, on Saturday 14th – so you still have plenty of time to get your head around the flow of events, especially if you’re planning to place a bet on the events. The team at onlinecasinosonline.co.za will save you the hassle of your own research as they’ve picked out some of the best offers available for South African bettors at a variety of platforms. The venue will be in South Africa itself, and the two sides are playing as part of the Rugby Championship. The history The two sides have, of course, met many times before – with varying results. In recent years, rugby union games between the two sides have tended to end in South Africa’s favour. They won the 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up match in 2019 against Argentina at a game in Pretoria, for example, while a few days earlier they took another victory against the side in Salta, Argentina. On the whole, though, this isn’t a pairing that regularly meets, which could lead to some rather intriguing dynamics. Sides that play against each other on a regular basis often find themselves falling into similar patterns of play, and mindsets, too – but the freshness that this relative
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lack of previous meetings will bring could lead to some interesting and unexpected results. This match The Springboks have a number of advantages on their side as they head into this match – not least the fact that their home soil will be the venue for the game. And by the time mid-August comes around, South Africa could well be on a roll with a lot of victory momentum behind them. They will have played in a series against the British and Irish Lions by then, which will hopefully have given the side a chance to sharpen their skills. But Argentina are also going into the fray with a lot of momentum. When lockdown ended last year, the side were able to pull off a stunning victory against the New Zealand All Blacks, played in Australia – securing a 25–15 win. Given the global dominance of the All Blacks in many ways, this was something of a spectacular achievement – and one that is likely to provide them with fuel and even potentially a sense of invincibility, for a while to come. This is likely to be reinforced by the fact that they managed to stave off defeat in two matches against the Australian Wallabies. While they were only able to come to a draw rather than pull off a victory, the fact that they dodged being defeated is guaranteed
to help stoke a sense of success within the team. However, it’s also important to stress that how a team has scored before will not necessarily have any bearing on how they are likely to do in the future. For a bettor, it’s vital to look at the team as a whole and assess what their strategic skills might be. In this case, it’s true to say that South Africa has some top players: from inside centres such as Damian de Allende to hookers such as Joseph Dweba, the squad is far from weak. Argentina, too, has its top competitors: names such as Rodrigo Bruni and Tomas Cubelli are likely to factor into any picture of the team’s overall effectiveness out on the pitch. Overall, the outcome of the rugby game between Argentina and South Africa won’t be known until it comes to a close in midAugust. But what’s clear is that both of these national teams have advantages on their side: for Argentina, it’s the continuing afterglow of their victory against the All Blacks last year, while for South Africa, it’s the fact that they’re playing on home turf. Now, it’s up to those who are placing bets or simply thinking about results for their own amusement to take a view and see if it pans out in their favour when the match rolls around.
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Transgender Hurdler CeCe Telfer Suffers Same Fate As Caster Semenya Transgender runner CeCe Telfer has been ruled out of the US Olympic trials after failing to meet World Athletics standards regarding testosterone levels, USA Track and Field said on Thursday. CeCe Telfer, who was due to compete in the opening heats of the women’s 400m hurdles on Friday, was unable to provide evidence that she met testosterone thresholds laid out by World Athletics in 2019. The World Athletics standards, which apply to all women’s running events between 400m and a mile, came amid a long-running controversy regarding South
Africa’s Olympic 800m champion Caster Semenya. USATF confirmed that Telfer had not demonstrated her eligibility to race at the trials in Eugene, Oregon, this week. The federation said Telfer had been notified of the eligibility requirements prior to the trials but was not able to show compliance. “USATF strongly supports inclusivity and providing a clear path to participation in the sport for all, while also maintaining competitive fairness,” the federation said in a statement. “If CeCe meets the conditions for transgender athlete participation in the future, we wholeheartedly back her participation in international events as a member of Team USATF.”
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YOUR NEWS VIEWS IF CECE MEETS THE CONDITIONS FOR TRANSGENDER ATHLETE PARTICIPATION IN THE FUTURE, WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY BACK HER PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL EVENTS AS A MEMBER OF TEAM USATF.
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