Johannesburg – The department of health said that the cumulative amount of Covid-19 cases in the country now stands at 1,369,426, with 12 710 new cases reported in the past 24 hours.
The department of health further said, “Regrettably, we report a further 566 COVID-19 related deaths bringing the total to 38 854 deaths. Our recoveries now stand at 1 160 412 , representing a recovery rate of 84,7%.”
In an exclusive interview held with Sunday World, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that rich countries are gobbling available vaccines in a move that could see poor and middle-income countries like South Africa failing to vaccinate millions of their vulnerable people, including frontline healthcare workers and the elderly.
As of today the cumulative number of #COVID19 cases identified in South Africa is 1 369 426. Regrettably, we report a further 566 COVID-19 related deaths bringing the total to 38 854 deaths. Our recoveries now stand at 1 160 412 , representing a recovery rate of 84,7% pic.twitter.com/llJde4X9yE
— Department of Health (@HealthZA) January 20, 2021
President Cyril Ramaphosa has raised concerns that rich countries have weakened Covax, a global alliance of mostly low and middle-income countries that has pooled resources together to buy vaccines at a cheaper price and ensure their equitable distribution to save lives.
#COVID19 Statistics in SA as at 19 January .
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. pic.twitter.com/VCvnLNBWWw
— Department of Health: COVID-19 (@COVID_19_ZA) January 20, 2021
“We have been concerned about the vaccine issue because there seems to be sort of a nationalism around vaccines. We wanted to see vaccines as a common good, available on an equitable basis to various countries in the world,” he said.
“Our concern was obviously based on the fact that your higher-income countries were just buying out everyone. That in itself weakens Covax because Covax is a process in which various countries come together and get a vaccine cheaply on a combined basis. Those countries [rich countries] went and bought.”
Read more: Poorer countries could miss out as US and Europe hog Covid vaccine
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