By CGTN Africa A new coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa in May does not appear to be spreading, the World Health Organisation said on Tuesday, adding it was monitoring the variant as the virus evolves. “It does not appear to be increasing in circulation,” WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris told a U.N. briefing, adding the…
By CGTN Africa Egypt is ramping up production of the Sinovac coronavirus vaccine as it aims to become a hub for vaccine exports to Africa. The increased production should also help Egypt protect its own population of more than 100 million from a new wave of infections. The government is preparing new facilities that it says…
By AFP France is providing 10 million doses of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines for Africa over the next three months, President Emmanuel Macron’s office announced on Monday. The jabs “will be allocated and distributed in the framework of the African Union’s African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) and COVAX. “The (COVID-19) pandemic can only be overcome through intense cooperation,”…
By CGTN Africa Sierra Leone kicked off its national polio immunization campaign in a bid to protect an estimated 520,000 children under five years of age using the novel Oral Polio vaccine. According to a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO), the campaign will run for four days and will be implemented by national and district teams…
By CGTN Africa South African scientists have detected a new coronavirus variant with multiple mutations but are yet to establish whether it is more contagious or able to overcome the immunity provided by vaccines or prior infection, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has said. The variant, known as C.1.2, was flagged last week by…
By Jerry Omondi Schools in Zimbabwe started receiving students on Sunday, nearly three months after the institutions were shut down amid the country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Classes are set to resume on Monday for students scheduled to sit exams to graduate from primary school, high school and college. The rest of the students are…
By XINHUA South African Airways (SAA) will resume operations on September 23, more than 15 months after it was grounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and business rescue. “After months of diligent work, we are delighted that SAA is resuming service and we look forward to welcoming on board our loyal passengers and flying the South African…
By XINHUA Nigeria is moving ahead with the emergency use of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine amid efforts to battle the third wave of infections in the country. Faisal Shuaib, head of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, said the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) certified the Chinese vaccine for emergency use…
By Jerry Omondi The 71st session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa started on Tuesday with focus on the continent’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-day session, being held virtually for the second year in a row, has brough together health ministers from the continent to set the continent’s health agenda…
By XINHUA Kenya’s travel and hospitality industry has witnessed gradual recovery as the country intensifies vaccination against COVID-19. Joseph Boinnet, Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, said the government has prioritized enhanced virus mitigation measures and diversification to boost tourist arrivals into the country. “The resilience of the travel and tourism industry…
