While most cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus have been reported in the U.S. , Europe, and China, the virus is spreading rapidly across the African continent. 



The confirmed worldwide cases for the virus have surpassed 200 million with the current figure being at 222,262,640



The death toll continues to rise globally now surpassing 4 million. It is currently at 4,593,598.



The world is currently dealing with a new variant of the virus known as the &#8216;Delta Variant&#8217;. The variant is known to be in over 85 countries globally. 



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">Africa has just marked the continent’s most dire pandemic week ever. But the worst is yet to come as the fast-moving third wave continues to gain speed and new ground. The end to this precipitous rise is still weeks away. Cases are doubling now every 18 days, compared with every 21 days only a week ago. We can still break the chain of transmission by testing, isolating contacts and cases and following key public health measures.” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa on July 8 2021</blockquote>



The U.S. leads with 666,627 deaths. Brazil comes second with 583,866. India&#8217;s deaths are at 441,433; Mexico is with 263,470 deaths, and Peru is with 198,523.



China, where the virus originated from, maintains that the country&#8217;s death toll is at 4,634.



The figure of the global recoveries stands at 198,882,734.



The African continent now has a total figure of 8,003,746 confirmed cases of Covid-19, while the death toll stands at 200,275. The continent has made 7,162,070 recoveries. 



World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said in an online briefing Thursday (1 July) that &#8220;The speed and scale of Africa’s third wave are like nothing we’ve seen before.&#8221; 



&#8220;The continent is on the verge of exceeding its worst week ever in this pandemic,&#8221; Moeti said



Here are the country-wide numbers for Africa:



<figure id="main_table_countries_today" class="wp-block-table"><table><thead><tr><th>Country</th><th>Total Cases</th><th>Total Deaths</th><th>Total Recovered</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Africa</td><td>8,003,746</td><td>200,275</td><td>7,162,070</td></tr><tr><td>Algeria</td><td>198,313</td><td>5,445</td><td>135,232</td></tr><tr><td>Angola</td><td>48,790</td><td>1,282</td><td>44,054</td></tr><tr><td>Benin</td><td>16,946</td><td>135</td><td>11,890</td></tr><tr><td>Botswana</td><td>162,186</td><td>2,309</td><td>155,403</td></tr><tr><td>Burkina Faso</td><td>13,851</td><td>171</td><td>13,575</td></tr><tr><td>Burundi</td><td>12,585</td><td>38</td><td>773</td></tr><tr><td>Cabo Verde</td><td>36,012</td><td>316</td><td>34,725</td></tr><tr><td>Cameroon</td><td>84,210</td><td>1,357</td><td>80,433</td></tr><tr><td>CAR</td><td>11,296</td><td>100</td><td>6,859</td></tr><tr><td>Chad</td><td>4,996</td><td>174</td><td>4,816</td></tr><tr><td>Comoros</td><td>4,086</td><td>147</td><td>3,909</td></tr><tr><td>Congo</td><td>13,588</td><td>183</td><td>12,421</td></tr><tr><td>Djibouti</td><td>11,785</td><td>157</td><td>11,592</td></tr><tr><td>DRC</td><td>55,307</td><td>1,061</td><td>30,858</td></tr><tr><td>Egypt</td><td>290,395</td><td>16,801</td><td>242,623</td></tr><tr><td>Equatorial Guinea</td><td>9,939</td><td>129</td><td>8,971</td></tr><tr><td>Eritrea</td><td>6,648</td><td>38</td><td>6,601</td></tr><tr><td>Eswatini</td><td>44,234</td><td>1,156</td><td>38,871</td></tr><tr><td>Ethiopia</td><td>316,174</td><td>4,785</td><td>284,895</td></tr><tr><td>Gabon</td><td>26,177</td><td>168</td><td>25,775</td></tr><tr><td>Gambia</td><td>9,789</td><td>328</td><td>9,379</td></tr><tr><td>Ghana</td><td>121,307</td><td>1,069</td><td>113,267</td></tr><tr><td>Guinea</td><td>29,877</td><td>358</td><td>27,742</td></tr><tr><td>Guinea-Bissau</td><td>5,902</td><td>121</td><td>4,967</td></tr><tr><td>Ivory Coast</td><td>57,056</td><td>477</td><td>54,804</td></tr><tr><td>Kenya</td><td>241,134</td><td>4,800</td><td>229,762</td></tr><tr><td>Lesotho</td><td>14,395</td><td>403</td><td>6,830</td></tr><tr><td>Liberia</td><td>5,459</td><td>148</td><td>2,715</td></tr><tr><td>Libya</td><td>318,069</td><td>4,363</td><td>230,995</td></tr><tr><td>Madagascar</td><td>42,884</td><td>957</td><td>41,311</td></tr><tr><td>Malawi</td><td>60,852</td><td>2,217</td><td>49,374</td></tr><tr><td>Mali</td><td>14,942</td><td>542</td><td>14,135</td></tr><tr><td>Mauritania</td><td>34,297</td><td>737</td><td>31,832</td></tr><tr><td>Mauritius</td><td>11,466</td><td>32</td><td>1,854</td></tr><tr><td>Mayotte</td><td>19,925</td><td>175</td><td>2,964</td></tr><tr><td>Morocco</td><td>886,008</td><td>13,145</td><td>828,148</td></tr><tr><td>Mozambique</td><td>148,054</td><td>1,881</td><td>137,891</td></tr><tr><td>Namibia</td><td>125,772</td><td>3,414</td><td>120,812</td></tr><tr><td>Niger</td><td>5,888</td><td>199</td><td>5,624</td></tr><tr><td>Nigeria</td><td>195,890</td><td>2,556</td><td>184,882</td></tr><tr><td>Rwanda</td><td>90,145</td><td>1,134</td><td>45,362</td></tr><tr><td>Réunion</td><td>50,346</td><td>342</td><td>47,752</td></tr><tr><td>Saint Helena</td><td>2</td><td></td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>Sao Tome and Principe</td><td>2,692</td><td>37</td><td>2,461</td></tr><tr><td>Senegal</td><td>73,257</td><td>1,812</td><td>64,582</td></tr><tr><td>Seychelles</td><td>20,323</td><td>108</td><td>19,767</td></tr><tr><td>Sierra Leone</td><td>6,374</td><td>121</td><td>4,364</td></tr><tr><td>Somalia</td><td>17,947</td><td>1,005</td><td>8,896</td></tr><tr><td>South Africa</td><td>2,824,063</td><td>83,617</td><td>2,599,667</td></tr><tr><td>South Sudan</td><td>11,526</td><td>120</td><td>11,195</td></tr><tr><td>Sudan</td><td>37,715</td><td>2,837</td><td>31,675</td></tr><tr><td>Tanzania</td><td>1,367</td><td>50</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>Togo</td><td>22,625</td><td>197</td><td>17,669</td></tr><tr><td>Tunisia</td><td>675,191</td><td>23,846</td><td>639,708</td></tr><tr><td>Uganda</td><td>120,714</td><td>3,061</td><td>95,679</td></tr><tr><td>Western Sahara</td><td>10</td><td>1</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>Zambia</td><td>207,294</td><td>3,620</td><td>202,500</td></tr><tr><td>Zimbabwe</td><td>125,671</td><td>4,493</td><td>117,036</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption><a href="https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/">Data From World O Meter</a></figcaption></figure>



Note: The numbers will be updated as new information is available.

South African truck drivers receive COVID-19 vaccine

[IN NUMBERS] Coronavirus Update: COVID-19 In Africa

TOPLINE Both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines work well at preventing symptomatic cases of the delta coronavirus variant—which became the dominant strain in the U.S. this month—but the vaccines’ effectiveness drops significantly in patients who only have one of the two doses, according to a new study.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



A study of 19,000 people from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2108891" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Public Health England</a>&nbsp;published Wednesday found that both doses of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines help protect against symptoms from both the alpha (B.1.1.7, also known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/04/07/uk-coronavirus-variant-is-now-the-dominant-strain-in-us-cdc-says/">the U.K. variant</a>) and delta variants at comparable rates.



Two doses of the Pfizer vaccine had an effectiveness of 93.7% at preventing symptomatic alpha infections, and 88% for the delta variant.



Two doses of AstraZeneca were found to be 74.5% effective at preventing symptomatic alpha infections, and 67% for delta.



However, the effectiveness of the vaccines plummeted if a patient had only received one dose of either vaccine: the study found both to be just more than 48% effective against alpha and only about 30% effective against delta.



Researchers said their findings support the theory that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2108891" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prioritizing second doses</a>, especially in vulnerable populations, is an effective way to prevent coronavirus outbreaks.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tangent">TANGENT</h3>



The single-dose Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine only has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2021/07/20/johnson--johnson-vaccine-far-less-effective-against-delta-variant-study-suggests/?sh=44f5e2864299">a 33% efficacy rate</a>&nbsp;against the delta variant, a New York University study released Tuesday suggested, although it has not been peer reviewed.&nbsp;A small study from Moderna last month suggested their vaccine also&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-provides-clinical-update-neutralizing-activity-its-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">offers protection</a>&nbsp;against the delta strain.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



The delta variant, which experts believe is more transmissible than earlier forms of coronavirus, is thought to be the driving force behind <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2021/07/17/covid-hospitalizations-rise-nationwide-amid-delta-surge---especially-in-these-states/?sh=290e647e52a8">a new wave of infections</a> and a jump in hospitalizations across the U.S. Experts have warned about the danger delta could pose. Former Food and Drug Administration head Dr. Scott Gottlieb said the “majority” of unvaccinated Americans would likely contract the delta mutation eventually, adding the disease “is going to be the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/07/18/former-fda-head-says-delta-will-infect-majority-of-unvaccinated-americans-and-may-be-most-serious-virus-in-their-lifetime/?sh=22ee15f06b17">most serious virus</a> they will get in their lifetime in terms of the risk of putting them in the hospital.” The surge of new cases has pushed some cities like <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/graisondangor/2021/07/15/los-angeles-reportedly-will-reinstate-mask-mandate-saturday/?sh=7b879fb45373">Los Angeles</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/07/21/delta-fueled-covid-surge-spurs-new-mask-mandates---here-are-the-states-where-they-cant-legally-be-reimposed/?sh=6be7887c37b4">Las Vegas</a> to reintroduce mandatory masking in some indoor spaces.



By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff

A doctor’s hand with a syringe of covid-19 coronavirus vaccine.

Study Finds Pfizer And AstraZeneca Vaccines Effective Against The Delta Variant — As Long As You Get Both Doses

TOPLINE The U.K. is working towards dropping mandatory quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated travelers from other countries, transport minister Grant Shapps announced on Friday, a move that follows an earlier rule tweak that had extended the privilege only to fully vaccinated U.K. residents.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



In an&nbsp;<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-plan-to-allow-vaccinated-expats-into-uk-without-quarantining-to-be-revealed-in-next-couple-of-weeks-12352084" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">interview</a>&nbsp;with Sky News on Friday morning, Shapps said the country’s ministers are “actively working” on proposals that would extend the quarantine exemption to travelers from the so-called “<a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amber list</a>” or medium risk countries if they are fully vaccinated.



While Shapps did not provide a timeline for the implementation of this move, he suggested that people from the European Union—which has a unified digital vaccine passport system—could be granted this exemption before those from the U.S.—where such a system does not exist.



Shapps indicated that the policy would accommodate all vaccines that have been certified by the World Health Organisation, including ones that have not been approved for use in the U.K.



The minister warned that in case of a worsening outbreak, an amber-list country could move to the red list of higher risk nations, meaning all incoming travelers regardless of their vaccination status would be required to quarantine in a government-approved hotel.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



The U.K. government is set to lift most of its remaining Covid-19 restrictions on July 19, in what it has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/uk-looks-set-ease-restrictions-july-19-sun-cites-pm-saying-2021-06-28/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">begun calling</a>&nbsp;“freedom day.” After being forced to delay reopening for a month due to a fresh outbreak fuelled by the more infectious delta variant of the coronavirus, the government led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been steadfast on fully reopening the country later this month. As part of the move, Shapps&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jul/08/shapps-confirms-no-quarantine-fully-vaccinated-amber-list-returnees-england-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a>&nbsp;on Thursday that British travelers who plan to visit amber list countries will not be required to quarantine on arrival in England if they have been fully vaccinated by the U.K.’s National Health Service. The government considers a person to be fully vaccinated 14-days after they have received their second jab.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-plans-scrap-quarantine-non-uk-vaccinated-arrivals-weeks-2021-07-09/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Britain plans to scrap quarantine for non-UK vaccinated arrivals in weeks</a>&nbsp;(Reuters)



<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-plan-to-allow-vaccinated-expats-into-uk-without-quarantining-to-be-revealed-in-next-couple-of-weeks-12352084" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plan to allow vaccinated people from abroad into UK without quarantine to be revealed in &#8216;next couple of weeks&#8217;</a> (Sky News)



By Siladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

Views Of Heathrow Airport As The Coronavirus Pandemic Continues

Britain Is Planning To Allow Fully Vaccinated Foreign Travelers To Enter Without Having To Quarantine

TOPLINE: Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is significantly less effective at preventing infection with the Delta variant than previous strains of coronavirus, data from Israel’s health ministry suggests, the latest setback as countries around the world fight to contain the hyper-contagious form of Covid-19 driving outbreaks among children and young people. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



A full course of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 64% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19, according to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/rJQ1O5kp00#autoplay" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early study&nbsp;</a>by Israel’s health ministry&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-05/israel-sees-decline-in-pfizer-vaccine-efficacy-rate-ynet-says" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>&nbsp;Monday, much&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e7147144-11ff-45bc-96f1-236380c9df5d" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lower</a>&nbsp;than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-says-covid-vaccine-highly-effective-against-delta-variant-2021-06-24/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previous</a>&nbsp;estimates of nearly 90%.&nbsp;



The vaccine still appears to be highly effective, 93%, at preventing serious illness and hospitalization, the data shows, though this is also slightly lower than earlier studies suggested and for other variants.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Biotech firm Moderna, which is based on the same type of technology as Pfizer’s jab,&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-provides-clinical-update-neutralizing-activity-its-covid" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>&nbsp;its vaccine remains effective against the Delta variant and that blood samples from fully vaccinated individuals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/06/30/1011684609/moderna-says-studies-show-its-vaccine-is-effective-against-the-delta-variant" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">show</a>&nbsp;only a “modest reduction” in antibodies.



Early studies&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/07/01/1012372893/johnson-johnsons-covid-vaccine-is-effective-against-the-delta-variant-studies-fi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">indicate</a>&nbsp;the Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine, the third authorized for use in the U.S., is also effective against the variant, the company said, generating immunity lasting for at least eight months.&nbsp;



Studies from the U.K., where Delta accounts for practically all new cases of Covid-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-14/delta-variant-doubles-risk-of-covid-hospitalization-in-study" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">found</a>&nbsp;the AstraZeneca vaccine to be about 60% effective at preventing symptomatic disease and around 90% effective at preventing hospitalization, a modest drop compared to the Alpha variant that previously dominated.



In vaccines requiring two shots—which covers all mentioned here bar the one-shot Johnson &amp; Johnson—research consistently indicates a much lower level of protection from just one shot,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/30/cdc-wont-change-mask-guidelines-as-delta-variant-spreads-director-says/?sh=bad30f25e75f">underscoring</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/fauci-vaccination-covid-rates-two-americas-5547f8cd-743a-4789-96bc-10782f967b2c.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">entreaties</a>&nbsp;from public health officials for Americans to get vaccinated.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contra">CONTRA</h3>



The data and research covering how effective vaccines are against Delta are new and, in some instances, incomplete, something that reflects the speed at which Delta has spread. For example, Israel’s health ministry has not revealed the data or the methodology it used to obtain its results and the studies from both Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson only looked at how blood samples from a very small number of people behaved in a laboratory setting. Until more data is gathered in a transparent and verifiable way, the figures and results should not be seen as conclusive. The U.K. is likely to prove an invaluable source of information for other countries dealing with the variant as it is facing a new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/14/delta-variant-fueling-uk-covid-surge-could-become-dominant-us-strain-here-are-the-places-most-at-risk/?sh=66a089d04e31">wave</a>&nbsp;of cases&nbsp;<a href="https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-delta-variant-cases-up-46-in-a-week-as-expert-warns-mutant-strain-will-hit-uk-soon-12347040" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">driven</a>&nbsp;almost entirely by Delta, especially as it&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57725523" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prepares</a>&nbsp;to lift all pandemic restrictions.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-number">BIG NUMBER</h3>



47%. That’s how much of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated against Covid-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC. Around 83 million have received a full course of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, 61 million the Moderna vaccine and 12 million the one-shot Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccine. 72,000 people have been fully vaccinated with a two-dose vaccine, though records do not show which.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-background">KEY BACKGROUND</h3>



Health experts, including at the CDC, believe it is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/18/cdc-head-says-dangerous-delta-variant-likely-to-be-dominant-covid-strain-heres-where-its-spreading-fastest/?sh=68f212c86ff5">likely</a>&nbsp;the Delta variant will become the dominant strain in the U.S. It already accounts for around one in four cases of Covid-19,&nbsp;<a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">according</a>&nbsp;to the CDC, and is already the dominant form of the virus in two regions the agency measures (making up around 50-60% of cases in an area covering Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming). Though the WHO recommends all people to keep wearing masks&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/25/who-urges-fully-vaccinated-people-to-continue-wearing-masks-as-delta-variant-spreads-but-no-word-from-cdc/?sh=79f3bb9241f9">regardless</a>&nbsp;of their vaccination status, the CDC has not&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/30/cdc-wont-change-mask-guidelines-as-delta-variant-spreads-director-says/?sh=863b6855e75f">changed</a>&nbsp;its guidance, recommending people get vaccinated to protect themselves and for local officials to institute their own measures if needed. Few areas have shown signs of doing this and the country&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/02/the-least-vaccinated-states-also-earn-the-least-an-analysis-of-data-shows/?sh=6ef093331f5b">low</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/30/here-are-the-groups-that-still-wont-get-the-covid-vaccine-and-why/?sh=3550d46d2ad4">uneven</a>&nbsp;vaccination&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/07/04/32-states-didnt-hit-bidens-july-4-vaccine-goal-these-were-the-furthest-from-it/?sh=41ce764132cd">rates</a>&nbsp;across the U.S. has prompted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.axios.com/fauci-vaccination-covid-rates-two-americas-5547f8cd-743a-4789-96bc-10782f967b2c.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fears</a>&nbsp;the variant will drive new waves of cases in poorly vaccinated areas, especially as practically all pandemic restrictions have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jemimamcevoy/2021/07/01/just-one-state-is-left-to-fully-reopen-heres-what-it-is-waiting-for/?sh=777f13d45f33">dropped</a>.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-to-watch-for">WHAT TO WATCH FOR</h3>



Most pharmaceutical companies—including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/05/19/astrazenecas-covid-shot-reportedly-works-well-as-a-booster-raising-hopes-in-battle-against-virus-variants/?sh=409a27ea5870">AstraZeneca</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissaholzberg/2021/05/04/pfizer-will-file-for-full-fda-approval-for-covid-19-vaccine-by-end-of-may/?sh=21bf069124c0">Pfizer</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/leahrosenbaum/2021/04/29/moderna-invests-to-make-3-billion-covid-vaccines-by-2022/?sh=5d3bade0ac6a">Moderna</a>—are already working on Covid-19 booster shots, which could top up fading immunity over time and give added protection against new variants of the virus. It’s not yet clear&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/15/when-will-you-need-a-covid-booster-shot-pfizer-monitors-breakthrough-infections-as-experts-say-more-data-is-needed/?sh=5a11d8ae7f69">when a booster&nbsp;</a>might be needed. There are also a number of trials&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jun/06/mix-and-match-covid-booster-jabs-may-be-offered-in-uk-vaccine-autumn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">exploring</a>&nbsp;what&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/07/04/johnson-johnson-vaccine-second-dose/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vaccine</a>&nbsp;should be used as a booster and whether it would be more effective to “mix and match” different kinds.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-reading">FURTHER READING</h3>



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/02/kids-among-most-vulnerable-to-infectious-delta-variant---heres-why-you-should-be-more-worried/?sh=ba4417927011">Kids Among Most Vulnerable To Infectious Delta Variant — Here’s Why You Should Be More Worried</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/06/18/cdc-head-says-dangerous-delta-variant-likely-to-be-dominant-covid-strain-heres-where-its-spreading-fastest/?sh=32c085616ff5">CDC Head Says Dangerous Delta Variant Likely To Be Dominant Covid Strain. Here’s Where It’s Spreading Fastest.</a>&nbsp;(Forbes)



<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2021/07/3-principles-now-define-pandemic/619336/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The 3 Simple Rules That Underscore the Danger of Delta</a>&nbsp;(The Atlantic)



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2021/06/11/here-are-the-biggest-groups-that-are-still-refusing-the-covid-19-vaccine-poll-finds/?sh=5c30db3c42cc">Here Are The Biggest Groups That Are Still Refusing The Covid-19 Vaccine, Poll Finds</a> (Forbes)



By Robert Hart, Forbes Staff

New York’s Northwell Health Hospital Administers Covid Vaccines

Pfizer Shot Much Less Effective Against Delta, Israel Study Shows — Here’s What You Need To Know About Variants And Vaccines

With Covid-19 infections spiking rapidly in South Africa and heading for a fierce pandemic peak, it’s a tough winter ahead. Will the new tightened restrictions help quell the wave?



South Africa’s third wave of Covid-19 infections, which the president Cyril Ramaphosa called “devastating” in a nationwide address on June 27, has been attributed to the highly-contagious Delta variant.



With private and public health facilities in some provinces already reportedly overwhelmed and at capacity with the heavy new caseload, the South African government has urged citizens to take increased precautions amid tighter regulations and a reversal to lockdown alert level 4 announced by the president last night.



<figure class="wp-block-pullquote is-style-solid-color"><blockquote>“The death rate is very likely to be two or even three times higher than the last wave.” &#8211;Professor François Venter, Director of Ezintsha and Deputy Executive Director of Wits RHI</blockquote></figure>



“We need to take extra precautions. As of today, the seven-day average of new daily cases nationally has overtaken the peak of the first wave in July last year, and will soon overtake the peak of the second wave we experienced in January this year,” said Ramaphosa, as he announced the move to adjusted restrictions, which includes an expanded curfew, the prohibition of gatherings, the closing of gyms and sit-down eateries, as well as stopping the sale of alcohol.



While efforts to hamper the spread of the virus have some efficacy, members of the medical fraternity, including members of the government’s own Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC), have been critical of what they think has been slow action.



“Government did not properly prepare – as a province, we thought that it the third wave wouldn’t be as brutal as the first or second,” says co-chair of the MAC, Professor Koleka Mlisana, to FORBES AFRICA. “The province should not have closed quarantine facilities after infections of the second wave seemed to be decreasing, that’s where we dropped the ball. When the third wave infections picked up, we were playing catch-up, worsened by one of our major academic hospitals was offline.”



Indeed, the Gauteng province, the country’s commercial heart, is the hardest hit in South Africa, with the seven-day moving average cases fast approaching 10,000.



“We are seeing Gauteng in particular being hammered, with infection rates higher than any other province, almost by a factor of two,” says Professor François Venter, Director of Ezintsha and Deputy Executive Director of Wits RHI (reproductive health and HIV Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand), in an interview with FORBES AFRICA.



“This is the worst, most severe health crisis we have ever faced. In July, Gauteng might look like India during their peak.”



Many of the additional health infrastructure and medical care capacity created during and for the first and second waves of the pandemic were decommissioned late last year, and not reopened in preparation for the third wave, he adds.



To bolster additional capacity, the Nasrec quarantine facility is now being reactivated.



“What we were so scared of during the hard lockdowns of May and July [last year] – that’s what we are seeing now,” continues Venter. “The death rate is very likely to be two or even three times higher than the last wave.”



The surge in cases has already taken its toll on already strained healthcare infrastructure in both state and private facilities, with many hospitals reporting that they are at ICU capacity, even as the peak of the third wave has reportedly not yet been reached.



While the provincial government has committed to the hiring of new staff and expansion of existing facilities this week, it may be too late, for many patients and personnel attempting to save lives, say frontline staff.



“Our staff shortages are constant. We are often over [patient] capacity and are not always able to admit sick Covid-positive patients to our wards because of a lack of space,” says one state doctor who wished to be unnamed.



On the vaccine front, the president announced yesterday that 2.7 million people had received a single vaccine dose countrywide, with the daily vaccination rate exceeding 100,000 – with 1.2 million new Johnson &amp; Johnson (J&amp;J) vaccines and 1.4 million Pfizer doses having arrived in the last three days through the COVAX program, which South Africa is largely reliant on for vaccine-procurement, and which is still trying to acquire enough doses for member states across the continent.



The J&amp;J vaccine trial earlier in the year had been temporarily halted due to cautionary concerns regarding possible blood clots. While the J&amp;J vaccine application has resumed, delivery of the doses to South Africa had been earlier hindered by reported concerns around site contamination at a production plant in Baltimore in the United States.



While vaccination rates are increasing, the government also has a tough job balancing safety and economic necessity; the hard lockdowns of 2020 caused South Africa’s GDP to fall by over 16% between the first and second quarters (source: Stats SA).



Keen to avoid similar damage to the economy, the government is forced to walk a tightrope in an attempt to curb the spread of infections while keeping the economic engine turning in a country with a youth jobless rate of 74.7%.



Attempts to keep this balance are reflected in the new lockdown regulations, which allow most businesses to function as normal. However, the liquor and restaurant industry say the new restrictions will be terribly damaging.



“Another ban will offer a severe blow to thousands of small businesses still trying to get back on their feet from the previous bans, resulting in even more job losses, business closures and loss in revenue for the national fiscus,” the Beer Association of South Africa said in a statement soon after the president’s June 27 address.



“The only way forward is to provide an uninterrupted supply of beds, supplies, staff and oxygen,” says Venter firmly. “We need not waste time on lockdowns or alcohol, but focus on providing the health system, what it urgently requires, and providing health staff as efficiently as possible. The supply of the healthcare system must be an absolute priority.”



With 15,036 new cases reported in the last 24 hours and private and public ICUs filled to capacity, there is uncertainty and a cold Covid winter ahead for South Africa.

Tag: Delta Variant

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

[IN NUMBERS] Coronavirus Update: COVID-19 In Africa

Study Finds Pfizer And AstraZeneca Vaccines Effective Against The Delta Variant — As Long As You Get Both Doses

Britain Is Planning To Allow Fully Vaccinated Foreign Travelers To Enter Without Having To Quarantine

Pfizer Shot Much Less Effective Against Delta, Israel Study Shows — Here’s What You Need To Know About Variants And Vaccines

South Africa’s Giant Third Wave: ‘In July, Gauteng Might Look Like India During Their Peak’