Tag Archive for: COVID-19

Andrew Stegmann
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Relocation Africa Morocco Immigration Interview Courtesy of Dany Glavieux

Quintin Coetzee, our Marketing Assistant, recently interviewed our Immigration Lead, Lynn Mackenzie, about Morocco’s current immigration landscape. Lynn was provided the Moroccan information courtesy of our partner, Dany Glavieux.

To listen to Quintin and Lynn’s conversation about Moroccan immigration in the current context, click here to view the recording, or view it below.

We would like to say a huge thank you to Dany for the immigration insights. We hope you enjoy the recording.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann
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South Africa to Welcome First WHO Member to Help in Fight Against COVID-19

South African Health Minister Zweli Mkhize will be joined by the World Health Organization (WHO)’s Tedros Ghebreyesus in welcoming the organisation’s first member who will be helping South Africa with its fight against COVID-19.

A team of more than 40 international health experts assembled by the WHO are due to start working in south Africa soon where they’ll be guiding government and professionals through the pandemic.

South Africa is ranked fifth on the international list of countries with the highest coronavirus infection rates. South Africa has about 70,000 more confirmed COVID-19 cases than Mexico or Peru -whose infection rates continue to climb.

Last month, when Minister Mkhize made the announcement, he promised that this team of experts assembled by the world health organization would add tremendous value to support South Africa. Although the daily new infection rate has slowed down in large provinces like Gauteng, the Western Cape, and Eastern Cape, there are concerns about a second wave.

Chairperson of the ministerial advisory committee on COVID-19, Professor Salim Abdool Karim has warned this pandemic is one of many more that could plague the world and now is a time to come up with international modules to stop future viruses. “We can’t say this was a complete surprise. We just didn’t know when and how severe. This is not the last, we as a global community has to have the global mechanism to stand together to make sure we are better prepared next time.”

Those who have already touched down here in South Africa arrived a few days ago for quarantine purposes and will now be officially welcomed during an online ceremony.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann
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Nigeria to Reopen Airports for International Flights From 29 August

Nigeria will reopen its airports for international flights from Aug. 29, its aviation minister said on Monday.

The airports have been closed since March 23 to all but essential international flights as part of the country’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said four flights would begin landing daily in Lagos, and four in Abuja, with strict protocols. He did not say where they would be coming from.

“It is safe to fly, if we observe all those protocols in place,” Sirika said at a briefing in Abuja.

Africa’s most populous nation, which recorded its first confirmed coronavirus case in late February, now has 49,068 confirmed cases and 975 deaths.

It resumed domestic flights on July 8 and Sirika said there had been no confirmed virus transmissions on flights.

Passengers on international flights will need to provide a negative COVID-19 test in order to board and pay for another test after they arrive in Nigeria, Sirika said. They will also be required to fill in an online health questionnaire and present it to authorities when they land.

Those currently returning to Nigeria aboard repatriation flights are required to self-quarantine for 14 days, and authorities retain passports for that period. Sirika said on Monday they could “gradually” stop keeping passengers’ passports.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].

Andrew Stegmann
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Novavax Starts COVID-19 Vaccine Trial in South Africa

American vaccine development company Novavax says it has begun a Phase 2b clinical trial in South Africa to evaluate the efficacy of a Covid-19 vaccine candidate.

Dr Shabir Madhi, professor of Vaccinology at Wits University, will lead the clinical trial which is supported in part by a $15 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the company said in a statement on Monday (17 August).

“Because South Africa is experiencing a winter surge of Covid-19 disease, this important Phase 2b clinical trial has the potential to provide an early indication of efficacy, along with additional safety and immunogenicity data for NVX-CoV2373,” said Gregory M. Glenn, president of Research and Development at Novavax.

“We appreciate the continued support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and CEPI, and our strong ongoing collaboration with Wits University, all of whom are united with us in our commitment to produce and deliver a safe, effective vaccine across the globe.”

Novavax said that the trial will consist of two cohorts.  The first cohort will evaluate efficacy, safety and immunogenicity in approximately 2,665 healthy adults.

The second cohort will evaluate safety and immunogenicity in approximately 240 medically stable, HIV-positive adults. This allows for evaluation of the vaccine across a diverse, representative study population, it said.

Novavax expects that, if approved in South Africa, its Covid-19 vaccine will ultimately be supplied to in the country through a recently announced collaboration with the Serum Institute of India.

“The major motivation for the Covid-19 vaccines being evaluated at an early stage in South Africa is to generate evidence in the African context on how well these vaccines work in settings such as our own,” said Madhi.

“I am pleased to work with Novavax as the principal investigator in this clinical trial, following Novavax’ Covid-19 vaccine’s positive Phase 1 data, which provides strong rationale for moving development forward in a larger subset of adults.”

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].