Cape Town - South Africa has recorded 2 080 new Covid-19 related cases and 65 deaths since the last report, the Department of Health said on Monday.
“As of today (Monday), the cumulative total of Covid-19 cases is 769 759. We have registered a positivity rate of 14%, which is concerning, ” Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said in a statement.
Case data by province
“The cumulative number of tests conducted to date is 5 305 343 with 14 377 new tests conducted since the last report,” Mkhize added.
Recoveries and deaths
Of the 65 deaths recorded, 26 were in the Eastern Cape, 19 in the Free State, 7 in the Western Cape, 2 in Gauteng, 3 in Limpopo and 8 in the North West. This brings the total to 20 968 deaths.
To date, 711 195 patients have recovered from the virus and the recovery rate remains stable at 92,4%, Mkhize said.
Covid-19 vaccine: Dosing error turns into lucky break for AstraZeneca and Oxford
A stroke of good fortune from a dosing error will pave the way for AstraZeneca and Oxford University to submit their Covid-19 vaccine for regulatory clearance.
The British drugmaker said on Monday that the vaccine could be around 90% effective, when administered as a half dose followed by a full dose a month later, citing data from late-stage trials in Britain and Brazil.
"The reason we had the half-dose is serendipity," Mene Pangalos, the head of AstraZeneca's non-oncology research and development, told Reuters.
A larger group who had received two full doses - as planned - resulted in an efficacy read-out of 62%, leading to an overall efficacy of 70% across both dosing patterns.
Read the full story here.