Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
second wavelatest news & developments

South Africa remains under Covid-19 alert level four, with minor changes

As the Delta variant fuels infections, the ban on alcohol sales remains, schools will stay closed until 26 July and restaurants may open with limited numbers

The US and South African medicines regulators have faced legal challenges regarding information used to review and approve Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine. (Guillem Sartorio/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Rise of the variants: What you need to know about the Delta variant in SA

SA’s lockdown regulations are tightening to better curb the spread of Covid-19, amid concerns that the Delta variant could drive a surge of infections

Almost 2 000 Western Cape health workers training to give Covid jab

The number of people being trained online will steadily increase

Can you get reinfected with Covid-19? SA has ‘4 000 potential reinfections’

Although the new strain 501Y.V2 of the virus has spread 50% more rapidly, current evidence shows that it is not more severe than the one experienced in the first wave

Calls for transparency in how KZN manages Covid-19

Doctors, nurses, undertakers and civic activists want national and provincial interventions that address the reality of the dire situation in KwaZulu-Natal

Covid-19’s second wave hits Sudan harder and faster

The pandemic has helped to expose the dire state of Sudan’s healthcare system, which lacks both equipment and medical personnel

A lab technician wearing a full body protection suit inspects a bottle containing growth media for virus production during coronavirus vaccine research at the Valneva SA laboratories in Vienna, Austria. (Photo: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Infodemic to infowar: The circus of disinformation will spin on

More people have died in South Africa from Covid-19 than have been murdered. This hasn’t stopped a misinformation pandemic from trying to misrepresent that reality

Taking stock of a local lockdown

Some Nelson Mandela Bay residents are abiding by restrictions; others are feeling festive

Studies in informal settlements show transparent communication is key to trusting the government and adhering to restrictions
(Marco Longari/AFP)

Covid-19 arrived and statism took hold

In following an international, scientific approach the state assumed extraordinary power over people

Dead serious: South Africa has the highest numbers of diagnosed infections in Africa and ranks sixteenth in the world, with fears of a second wave as infections are increasing. (Photo: Michele Spatari/AFP)

Covid-19 info lags as cases shoot up

Vital information apps and websites are outdated as cases begin to mushroom, especially near the coast, just in time for the December holidays

President Cyril Ramaphosa. (Photo: Reuters)
Video

Ramphosa extends national state of disaster

As the president extends the state of disaster for another month, other restrictions will be eased, including those on alcohol sales and international travel

A Gauteng health department official collects samples from a man during a door-to-door COVID-19 coronavirus testing drive in Yeoville, Johannesburg, on April 3, 2020. (Marco Longari/AFP)

How to explain the Covid-19 ‘weekend effect’

Reported Covid-19 cases and the number of people tested typically fall over the weekend. But this doesn’t mean that the virus is taking a break

Up to one in five people can get long COVID — a condition in which someone keeps on feeling ill for months after their initial symptoms have cleared up. (Paul Botes)
Video

It’s not a ‘second wave’: Covid resurges because safety measures are relaxed or ignored

A simple model shows how complacency in South Africa will cause the number of infections to go on an upward trend again