April 19 2020 - 17:59

Zimbabwe lockdown extended for two weeks

Zimbabwe’s Covid-19 lockdown has been extended by two weeks, ending on May 3.

Making the announcement on television, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said: “It has been a hard decision.”

He said the main objectives of the extension are to flatten the curve and to increase testing and Covid-19 recoveries to lessen the burden on the health sector.

April 19 2020 - 17:32

28 complaints against military since lockdown started

The SA Military Ombud has received 28 complaints from the public on the conduct of SANDF members since the start of the lockdown.

In a statement released on Sunday, the ombudsman said that at least 15 complaints were from members of the public regarding allegations of excessive force and physical abuse by soldiers.

During the lockdown, the office had also registered complaints from serving members of the SANDF, concerning their conditions of service.

April 19 2020 - 17:23

More than 1,300 South Africans repatriated from 17 countries in the past two weeks

Government has, since April 8, repatriated 1,332 South Africans stranded in 17 countries due to Covid-19 lockdown.

The department of international relations and cooperation said a total of 3,639 had indicated that they were stranded in foreign countries and 1,332 of those have returned home.

April 19 2020 - 16:01

Western Cape has over 200 Covid-19 recoveries, 38 patients in hospital

Western Cape premier Alan Winde announced on Sunday that the province had recorded 215 Covid-19 recoveries.

Of the province’s 866 confirmed cases, 38 patients were in hospital. Winde said 12 of the 38 patients were in ICU. Fifteen cases were unallocated.

The recent death of a 45-year-old man has taken the province’s death total to 16. Most of the deaths in the country have been in KwaZulu-Natal.

April 19 2020 - 16:01

KZN premier promises 'intensified' lockdown in Durban

There will be “no compromises” in the enforcement of the national lockdown in Durban, as the coastal city has become KwaZulu-Natal's Covid-19 epicentre.

This was the stern warning from premier Sihle Zikalala on Sunday.

“We want to inform you that all is not well,” said Zikalala. “We need to take urgent and drastic action because we are at risk of losing this battle if we behave as if all is normal.”

April 19 2020 - 14:38

'Government not doing enough to save black-owned small businesses,' says Black Business Council

Black Business Council president Sandile Zungu has expressed concern over government’s inadequate facilities to support SMMEs which are likely to collapse in the coming months.

While lauding the efforts of President Cyril Ramaphosa and government's efforts to arrest the spread of Covid-19, Zungu says that an estimated 500,000 jobs will be lost in the SMME sector alone.

April 19 2020 - 14:38

Business call for more repo rate cuts to save economy from effects of Covid-19 pandemic

The Reserve Bank will have to make another and more significant intervention amid fears that between one and three million jobs will be lost in the coming months due to economic inactivity as a result of the national lockdown.

This is according to Business Unity SA chair Sipho Pityana and Black Business Council president Sandile Zungu.

April 19 2020 - 14:22

KZN premier announces 'new approach' to curb Covid-19

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala is briefing the media on Sunday to announce a 'new approach' to intensify efforts to curb Covid-19 spread in the province.

His office said the announcement follows the KZN Command Team meeting held on Friday.

April 19 2020 - 11:51

Cops arrested for breaking lockdown laws, including alcohol-related crimes

Several police officers have been arrested for contravening lockdown regulations, including liquor-related crimes, police minister Bheki Cele said on Sunday.

Cele said a “small percentage” of officers were arrested after they sought “to rubbish the good work of the security forces during the lockdown”.

Cele said police had a zero-tolerance approach to criminality and corruption by its own members.

April 19 2020 - 11:31

Gauteng has over 500 Covid-19 recoveries, more than 1,100 cases

The Gauteng health department said on Sunday morning that the province had recorded 545 Covid-19 recoveries.

In a statement, health MEC Bandile Masuku also confirmed national health department figures of 1,101 cases in Gauteng of the respiratory illness, which is caused by the coronavirus.

April 19 2020 - 11:23

'We are ready for the storm,' says Salga as municipalities prepare for mass burials

The country's eight metro municipalities are gearing up to deal with mass burials related to Covid-19 deaths, with the pandemic expected to reach its peak in the coming weeks.

This is according to the mayor of the city of Polokwane, Thembi Nkadimeng, who was speaking in her capacity as the president of the SA Local Government Association (Salga).

April 19 2020 - 10:27

99 Covid-19 cases in SA prisons, half inmates

Five new Covid-19 cases have been reported in SA's correctional services department, but none of the cases are of inmates testing positive.

The department said on Saturday evening that five officials were positive for the respiratory illness, bringing the total to 99. Of those, 56 were inmates.

April 19 2020 - 10:26

We have to change the way we do things at funerals, the health minister said

Funerals are a “centre” for the spread of the coronavirus, and South Africans need to change their behaviour.

Hugging, kissing and consoling — and even digging the grave and sharing a communal meal — have been earmarked as areas of concern.

April 19 2020 - 10:19

When the lockdown stops, power cuts will start again

SA is hurtling towards new power cuts, due to hit the country in May.

This is despite Eskom conducting maintenance on its ageing power stations during a decline in demand in the lockdown.

Energy analysts said that while the current decline in demand greatly helped Eskom, it had allowed for only low-level and routine repairs.

April 19 2020 - 09:10

Sun International to close Carousel and Naledi casino after lockdown

The Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with escalating costs and declining revenue have claimed the iconic Carousel Casino and Naledi Casino, both of whom have permanently been closed, and will not reopen after the national lockdown.

April 19 2020 - 00:05

Children go without school lunch and families eke out the last of their supplies

As the government grapples with finalising a plan to feed a growing number of desperately hungry people amid the Covid-19 national lockdown, shelters say they are seeing starving people who have not eaten for up to a week.

A crucial cabinet meeting tomorrow will consider proposals to provide relief to save millions from hunger - including a temporary increase in social grants and introduction of a basic income grant.

This comes amid growing calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce a bold stimulus package for SA.

April 19 2020 - 00:00

Concerns raised over dept's 'draft post Covid-19 lockdown recovery plan'

Changing seating plans so that pupils’ chairs are at least 1.5m apart and a ban on the sharing of desks are among the measures the department of basic education is proposing when schools reopen.

Teachers and pupils will also be strongly discouraged from hugging, shaking hands or having any other “direct contact” with others.

The proposals, designed to comply with the department of health’s directive on physical distancing, are contained in the basic education department’s “draft post Covid-19 lockdown recovery plan”, which was discussed with teacher unions and governing body associations this week.

April 19 2020 - 00:00

Thousands of hospital beds being prepared for deluge of patients

As SA braces for an onslaught of Covid-19 infections, the state is moving to establish 1,644 emergency field hospitals and quarantine sites to shield a health-care system short of critical-care beds and ventilators.

A total of 2,000 beds for quarantine patients are being installed at the Nasrec centre in Johannesburg - which is being retrofitted to accommodate patients - and three acute facilities under construction in the Western Cape.

Gauteng and the Western Cape appear to be furthest along, but provincial health departments in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape said plans were being drawn up, ushering in the next stage of the fight against the pandemic as lockdown restrictions are eased.