The Latest: South Africa's cases inch close to half-million

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s number of confirmed coronavirus cases is edging close to a half-million, with the Health Ministry reporting 11,046 new cases overnight.

That brings the country's caseload to 482,169, including 7,812 deaths.

Corruption in the country’s pandemic response is also a growing problem. On Thursday, the health minister in the country’s epicenter of Gauteng province was forced to step down over corruption allegations related to government contracts for COVID-19 personal protective equipment.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that now, more than ever, South Africa’s persistent problem with widespread graft is endangering people’s lives. South Africa makes up well over half the cases on the African continent and has the world’s fifth highest virus caseload.

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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— 2nd US virus surge hits plateau, but few experts celebrate

— Record economic plunge, bleak jobs numbers reveal virus toll

— Fauci back on Capitol Hill as virus surge drives new fears

— A German shepherd that was the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in a dog in the United States has died in New York.

— England suffered a more widespread coronavirus outbreak than its European neighbors and had the highest level of excess deaths during the pandemic.

— Scientists at Imperial College London say they are immunizing hundreds of people with an experimental coronavirus vaccine in an early trial after seeing no worrying safety problems in a small number vaccinated so far.

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