In this week’s Covid-19 related news, pressure continues to mount as the deadline for comments on the National Health Act approaches and Sassa has said that it will no longer be processing new applications for the R350 Covid-19 relief grant.

Pressure builds as deadline for comments on National Health Act looms

As the deadline approaches for public comments on the proposed changes to the National Health Act (April 24), several political parties and groups within civil society are gearing up to challenge the amendments in court.

In March, the Department of Health published proposed health regulations in the Government Gazette.

According to the department, these regulations are meant to deal with Covid-19 and other notifiable medical conditions outside of a National State of Disaster.

Read more on Comaro Chronicle

Sassa not processing new applications for the R350 Covid-19 grant

No new R350 social relief of distress (SRD) grants will be processed until the government amends the regulations to shift the grant from the Disaster Management Act to the Social Assistance Act.

This is according to South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) spokesman Paseka Letsatsi.

Read more on The Citizen

Coming weeks are vital to determine start of fifth Covid wave in Gauteng

A possible sustained increase in coronavirus infections in Gauteng this week and in the following weeks will be important signals to tell whether the Gauteng province will be experiencing the fifth wave.

This is according to Professor Bruce Mellado, member of the Gauteng government Covid ministerial advisory committee.

Read more on Pretoria Rekord

Latest Covid-19 statistics

As of April 21, a total of 3 750 830 positive cases had been recorded in South Africa since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the preceding 24 hours, 4 406 new cases and 5 new deaths were reported in the last 24 to 48 hours.

The cumulative death toll was 100 276 while recoveries stood at 3 631 082. The total number of vaccines administered was 34 469 342.

Read original story on sandtonchronicle.co.za