THE total number of Covid-19 cases reported at universities in November was 3 088 with 1 499 staff members and 1 588 testing positive.
This was announced by Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande during a media briefing in Tshwane today
He said it was sad to announce that 48 staff members and 10 students died of the virus last year. He was giving an update on the readiness of tertiary institutes to re-open.
Nzimande said the departement would work closely with institutions to prepare for the start of the academic year between March and the middle of April.
“While the current focus is on the completion of the 2020 academic year, I will provide further information on plans for 2021 at a later stage, following engagement with the institutions and the release of the matric results,” he said.
The minister said it would be critical to make sure that necessary health and safety regulations were in place. He said as the department science and innovation, R68 766 000 had been allocated towards Covid-19 research and development.
Nzimande said the government, through the science and innovation department, owned a 47,5% stake in bio-pharmaceutical company Biovac. He said two vaccine studies were being supported.
“The first is a study on plant-based manufacturing of antibodies for Covid-19, which aims to facilitate the rapid development of vaccines,” he said.
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He said the second was a vaccine trial.
“In partnership with the South African Medical Research Council, the department is co-funding a study, led by the University of the Witwatersrand, aimed at assessing the safety and efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate ChAdOx1 SARS-CoV-2 in South African adults living without HIV, as well as safety and immunogenicity in a small cohort of adults living with HIV,” he said.