Mkhize: COVID-19 cases in SA rise to 1,380, deaths remain at 5

The union said it was shocked that management and some unions had reached a deal that operations should continue at the mine which included production.

The 21 days shutdown led to the closure of businesses and affected the income streams of many residents.

Even Google cancelled its hoax features as the world gets serious about stopping the spread of the deadly virus.

'The Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic,' organisers said in a statement.

The government plans to purchase tonnes of rice, pasta, sugar and cooking oil in order to help some of the country's poorest, according to a public tender published in local newspapers.

Spain has the world's second-highest death toll after Italy, with the virus so far claiming 9,053 lives after a record 864 people died over the past 24 hours, while the number of confirmed cases reached 102,136.

While it may not be too big a deal to delay vaccines for some of those diseases for a few months, timely immunisation against the more contagious ones like measles is essential.

Government said this was part of plans to slash the public sector wage bill by R160 billion in the next three years.