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The GCIS on Wednesday batted away criticism that there was no communication strategy around the Covid-19 pandemic and the country's vaccination rollout.
Many PPE contracts null and void â SIU
By Karabo Ngoepe
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Johannesburg - The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) has uncovered that most companies awarded contracts were not accredited or certified to handle or distribute the equipment.
Last year, at least R2 billion went to such companies, but the figure is expected to double if not triple after the completion of the SIU probe.
PPE contracts have drawn the ire of South Africans as politically connected people have been exposed to have made a killing from the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the latest scandal, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has been put on special leave pending an SIU investigation into the R150 million contract awarded to Digital Vibes, a company run by his associates Tahera Mather and Naadhira Mitha.
The recovery rate is now 93.5%.
The latest update came as hopes rose again for a renewed vaccine programme with the arrival of a consignment of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at OR Tambo International Airport.
#COVID19 Statistics in SA as at 16 February .Use the COVID Alert SA app to protect yourself, your loved ones and your community. Start using this privacy preserving app today. Add your phone to the fight! Download the Covid Alert SA app now! https://t.co/8YKEqaiiRFpic.twitter.com/zDaazozCc6 Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) February 16, 2021
The AstraZeneca vaccine the country obtained from the Serum Institute of India has been offered to the AU.
Professor Glenda Gray says the result of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Phase 3 trial is welcome news for South Africans who are staring down the end of a deadly second wave of Covid-19 that has overburdened the health system. The results came out on Friday, January 28.
“It’s brilliant news and shows we are protected against severe Covid. The vaccine can avert death and hospitalisation, and it reduces the burden of the disease,” says Gray, who is the principal investigator for the South African leg of the trials. She enrolled in the trial to build trust in vaccines.
Globally, the vaccine showed 66% efficacy against mild to severe Covid-19 and had an 85% hit rate against severe forms of the disease. The J&J vaccine will make up 20% of the total complement of all the jabs South Africa plans to buy. Inoculation is likely to start in the middle of February, and the first Covishield vials arrive on Monday from the Serum Institute in India. Covishield is one of the brand