South Africa extended tight COVID-19 rules on Sunday for another 14 days, maintaining restrictions that include a ban on gatherings, a curfew from 9 pm to 4 am and a prohibition on the sale of alcohol.
The country, the worst-hit on the African continent in terms of recorded cases and deaths, is in the grip of a third wave of infections driven by the more infectious Delta coronavirus variant.
"Our health system countrywide remains under pressure," President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a televised address to the nation.
Early this month South Africa recorded a new record of more than 26,000 daily cases, stretching hospitals to breaking point. Ramaphosa moved the country to the fourth level of a five-tier restriction scale in late June as infections climbed, promising to review the restrictions after two weeks.
On Sunday he said the cabinet had decided to maintain "adjusted alert level 4" for another 14 days, but restaurants would be able to operate again subject to strict health protocols. Gyms would also be allowed to reopen under certain conditions.
Ramaphosa added that a government advisory committee was working on how soon the country could bring Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine into the COVID-19 immunisation programme.
Immunisation is the priority for many countries as COVID-19 continues to spread.
On Sunday the Chinese sales agent for Germany's BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) said - it had signed a deal to provide 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan, part of a drawn-out and highly politicised process for the island to access the shots.
Taiwan's government has tried for months to buy the vaccine directly from BioNTech and has blamed China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own territory, for nixing an agreement the two sides were due to sign earlier this year. China denies the accusations.
As Taiwan struggles to get one dose of vaccine to its population, Israel will offer a third dose to adults with weak immune systems.
It is still weighing whether to make the booster available to the general public.
The rapid spread of the Delta variant has sent vaccination rates in Israel back up as new infections have risen over the past month from single digits to around 450 a day, and the country has moved to fast-track its next Pfizer shipment.
Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said that effective immediately, adults with impaired immune systems who had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine could get a booster shot, with a decision pending on wider distribution.
Pfizer and partner BioNTech SE, the main suppliers in a swift Israeli vaccination rollout that began in December, said on Thursday they will ask U.S. and European regulators within weeks to authorize booster shots.
The two companies cited an increased risk of infection after six months in seeking permission for a third shot.
It comes as the finance ministers for 20 of the world's largest economies warn the upsurge in new coronavirus variants and poor access to vaccines in developing countries threaten the global economic recovery.
The G20 gathering in the Italian city of Venice was the ministers' first face-to-face meeting since the start of the pandemic.
A final communique said the global economic outlook had improved since G20 talks in April thanks to the rollout of vaccines and economic support packages but acknowledged its fragility in the face of variants like the fast-spreading Delta.
"The recovery is characterised by great divergences across and within countries and remains exposed to downside risks, in particular the spread of new variants of the COVID-19 virus and different paces of vaccination," it read.
While G20 nations promised to use all policy tools to combat COVID-19, the Italian hosts of the meeting said there was also agreement to avoid imposing new restrictions on people.
"We all agree we should avoid introducing again any restriction on the movement of citizens and the way of life of people," said Italian Economy Minister Daniele Franco.
British Prime Minister Bois Johnson is following that line of thought, moving ahead with plans to lift all COVID-19 restrictions by July 19.
In a speech in the coming week, he will explain how a new High Streets strategy will help local communities thrive, by allowing more outside dining on pavements, helping restaurants and cafes serve more customers.
Reuters.
