COVID-19 UPDATE: SA SEES DROP IN TRAUMA UNIT CASES, AUSTRALIA’S VIRUS CLUSTER EXPANDS

Sat 02 January 2021:

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than 1.82 million lives in 191 countries and regions since it originated in China last December.

Over 83.68 million cases have been reported worldwide, with more than 47.19 million recoveries, according to figures compiled by the US’ Johns Hopkins University.

Alarm in France as thousands attend illegal New Year party

Some 2,500 partygoers attended an illegal New Year rave in northwestern France, violently clashing with police who failed to stop it and sparking concern the underground event could spread the coronavirus, authorities said.

The revellers had set up the illegal rave in Lieuron, south of Rennes in Brittany, after skirmishes with police, said a statement from the local prefecture on Friday.

Speaking later on BFM TV, interior ministry spokeswoman Camille Chaize said there had been “great hostility, great violence” against the forces of law and order, without indicating when the police would be able to enter the rave site.

Such mass gatherings are strictly banned across France to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and a nationwide 8pm curfew – which was not lifted for the New Year – applies across the country.

Tokyo to request new emergency declaration

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will ask the central government to declare a state of emergency following a resurgence of virus cases, local media reported.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike will make the request in a meeting with Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who coordinates government measures to fight the pandemic, the Nikkei newspaper said, citing multiple sources.

Saitama Prefecture, just north of Tokyo, will make a similar request of the government, national broadcaster NHK reported.

Australia’s virus cluster expands as Victoria, NSW clock new cases

Australia’s Victoria state on Saturday recorded 10 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases as authorities confirmed the outbreak in the south eastern state was “directly linked” to a growing cluster in neighbouring New South Wales.

The growing numbers have sparked virus alerts for regional holiday towns in both Victoria and NSW where the cases travelled before testing positive.

Victoria, which now has 29 active cases, this week made masks mandatory across the state while limiting gatherings and shutting its border to NSW prompting lengthy delays at border checkpoints on New Year’s Day.

NSW, the epicentre of the outbreak, made masks mandatory from midnight after reporting seven new cases on Saturday.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian also announced restrictions on numbers for gym classes, weddings, funerals and places of worship to prevent any super-spreader events.

“We will be making sure that compliance or enforcement occurs from Monday so we will not fine you until Monday. The fine would be A$200 for not wearing a mask,” in certain indoor settings such as shopping centres, entertainment venues and on public transport, Berejiklian said.

AstraZeneca expects to supply 2 mln doses of vaccine every week in UK – The Times

About two million doses of vaccine developed by Oxford/AstraZeneca are set to be supplied every week by the middle of January in the United Kingdom, The Times reported.

There would be two million doses of vaccine ready in total next week and then the plan is to build up fairly rapidly, the newspaper reported, citing an unnamed member of the Oxford/AstraZeneca team.

US cases surpass 20 million as deaths mount

US coronavirus cases crossed the 20 million mark on Friday as officials seek to speed up vaccinations and a more infectious variant surfaces in Colorado, California and Florida.

The United States has seen a spike in number of daily Covid-19 fatalities since Thanksgiving with 78,000 lives lost in December. A total of 345,000 have died of Covid-19, or one out of every 950 US residents, since the virus first emerged in China late in 2019.

To slow the death toll, Senator Mitt Romney on Friday urged the US government to enlist veterinarians and combat medics to give out coronavirus vaccinations.

S.Africa’s level 3 lockdown, alcohol ban has led to drop in trauma unit cases

For the first time in history, Africa’s biggest hospital, the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, did not admit a singly patient to its trauma and rescue unit on New Year’s day, EWN reported

Management there has thanked President Cyril Ramaphosa for imposing level 3 lockdown regulations in the county.

In the Western Cape, the Health Department said it also saw a massive drop in trauma emergencies in public hospitals in Cape Town and rural districts this New Year’s Eve.

It said this week, it noticed a significant peak in trauma admissions, on 16 December – which was a public holiday – and the Christmas weekend.

A total of 312 trauma patients were treated on Boxing Day – the daily average is 147.

The department’s Marika Champion said although many emergency centres were dealing with COVID-19 cases on New Year’s Eve, trauma cases dropped and most facilities reported on Friday it was much quieter than usual.

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