Covid-19 variant responsible for second wave may have emerged from Eastern Cape
By Staff Reporter
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Cape Town – The coronavirus variant that became dominant in parts of South Africa towards the end of 2020 may have emerged from the coast of the Eastern Cape after the first wave.
This according to a study by an international group of scientists recently published in the prestigious journal, Nature.
The rapid displacement of other Sars-CoV-2 lineages in multiple regions indicates that this variant has an advantage over these other strains, possibly owing to increased transmissibility and/or its ability to avoid the immune system.
Nzimande vows to invest millions to allow SA scientists, pharmaceuticals to produce locally branded Covid-19 vaccine
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Johannesburg - Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation Blade Nzimande has vowed to invest millions to allow South African scientists and pharmaceuticals to produce a locally branded vaccine to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nzimande said the planned investment would go ahead soon while his Science and Innovation Department was due next month, to conduct a feasibility study for the construction of a Science and Technology University, which would have as its primary objective to produce vaccines, not only for Covid-19 but also for other pandemics.
Revealed: Hamilton Ndlovu s staggering earnings over the last five years thesouthafrican.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thesouthafrican.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Pretoria division of the Gauteng High Court has confirmed a Section 163 (preservation) order granted to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) in September last year against luxury car-loving businessman Thabiso Hamilton Ndlovu and several companies that have been described by the presiding judge as “mere fronts”.
In a ruling emailed to the parties on Monday, the acting Deputy Judge President of the Gauteng division, Roland Sutherland, found that Ndlovu’s reasons for challenging the provisional order – including that he was busy sorting out his tax affairs when it was issued – had insufficient tread.
Sutherland said the argument that Ndlovu and his companies were “intent on paying what shall fall due” was “belied by the duration of the non-compliance” with SARS.
Vaccines have provided antibodies to some South Africans infected with Covid-19, helping them to fight against the potency of the virus, a study shows.