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 South Africa's 59% excess deaths imply hidden COVID-19 toll
South Africa witnessed some 17,000 extra deaths from natural causes,
or 59% more than would normally be expected, between early May and
mid-July, scientists said, suggesting many more people are dying of
COVID-19 than shown in official figures.
New data by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC),
released overnight, showed that just in the week to July 14 - the
latest figures available - there was an excess of 5,022 deaths by
natural causes, about half more than usual.
Africa's most industrialised nation is in the middle of a runaway
epidemic of the coronavirus, with cases increasing by more than
10,000 a day and the current total just shy of 400,000. But its
recorded death toll has so far been low, at 5,940 deaths, or less
than 1.5% of cases.
U.S. Senate Republicans, White House cite early progress on
coronavirus aid bill
Leading U.S. Senate Republicans and the White House said late on
Wednesday they had hammered out agreements in principle on portions
of a potential coronavirus-response bill, which could be presented
to Democrats as early as this week as lawmakers race to pass
legislation by the end of July.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters there was an
agreement on sending another round of direct-payment checks to
Americans to help them get through economic woes created by the
worsening pandemic.
Mnuchin, however, would not provide details on the amount of money
individuals and families might receive, or qualifications for
getting the checks under this Republican-crafted plan.
Siemens to roll out flexible working app for 100,000 staff
Siemens is rolling out its Comfy mobile phone app to hundreds of its
offices around the world to help staff safely return to the office
after the coronavirus shutdown.
More than 100,000 staff in 30 countries will get access to the app,
which gives data on occupancy levels and updates on the local
COVID-19 situation so they can comply with physical distancing
regulations.
Staff worried about COVID-19 infections among fellow workers can
also use a contact-tracing feature on the app created under a
partnership with U.S. software developer Salesforce.
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COVID-induced khat shortage adds to Somalia's health woes
In sweltering Mogadishu, Sharif Ahmed, 22, tried to attack relatives and
neighbours, resulting in an emergency trip to a psychiatric hospital in
handcuffs. He is suffering withdrawal from the narcotic leaf khat.
Somalia shut down flights in late March to curb the spread of the new
coronavirus, meaning the drug could no longer be imported by air from Kenya.
That affected users, causing some to go for long periods without sleep.
The price of khat surged when the flights were stopped, putting it out of reach
for most users and straining resources at Mogadishu's Habeeb Psychiatric
Emergency Hospital.
"Out of the total number of patients we have, half of them are addicted to the
drug," said Abdirashid Abdulahi, a doctor at the hospital, referring to the 40
patients under his care.
Reducing Corporate America's real-estate footprint
A Reuters analysis of quarterly earnings calls over the past week revealed more
than 25 large U.S. companies planned to downsize their office space in the year
ahead, moves designed to reduce the second-largest expense after payrolls at
corporations.
Reductions in office spending could likely be followed by layoffs and
investments in technology that should help improve productivity, said Bill
McMahon, chief investment officer of active equity strategies at Charles Schwab.
While companies tend to cut back on their real estate needs during typical
recessions, the last four months of economic lockdown have shown many workers
can remain productive at home, said Danny Ismail, an analyst at independent
research firm Green Street Advisors. As a result, the cutbacks that companies
are making are more likely to be permanent, he added.
(Compiled by Timothy Heritage; Editing by Pravin Char)
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