COVID-19 WRAP | SA coronavirus cases jump by 831, Implats temporarily suspends operations after detecting 19 cases
May 16 2020 - 20:19
Health DG slams advisory ministerial committee member who said lockdown laws were ‘unscientific’
Acting director general of health, Dr Anban Pillay, has criticised ministerial advisory committee (MAC) member Professor Glenda Gray for labelling government’s risk adjusted strategy “unscientific.”
This follows on an interview which Gray did with News24 in which she complained that the MAC was not part of the decision to gradually ease the country’s lockdown.
May 16 2020 - 17:40
'It's time to move away from a countrywide lockdown': Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter
SA Revenue Service (Sars) commissioner Edward Kieswetter says it is time government considers lifting lockdown regulations in those parts of the country where infection rates are not high in order for economic activities to resume.
“It is clear that we do not need a countrywide lockdown, there are provinces where the infection rates are low and clearly you can free up economic activity in those areas ... The time is ready to move from a countrywide lockdown to a more calibrated lockdown that treats every ward on its own merits, that is the essence of a risk-based approach.”
During an interview on eNCA Kieswetter also revealed that over 400 Sars employees had donated part of their salaries towards the Solidarity Fund to help fight the scourge of the coronavirus in SA.
May 16 2020 - 17:38
Cuban doctors will hit SA's Covid-19 front-line on Monday
Detachments of the controversial Cuban Medical Brigade have completed their two-week quarantine and will start work around the country this week.
On Saturday, North West health MEC Madoda Sambatha welcomed 13 Cuban doctors who will be deployed across four districts in the province.
The doctors include specialists in family medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics and health care technologists.
May 16 2020 - 17:37
Implats temporarily suspends operations at Marula after detecting 19 Covid-19 cases
Platinum mining group Implats has temporarily suspended operations at its Marula operation in Limpopo after detecting a “cluster” of positive Covid-19 cases.
The group said on Saturday that 19 positive cases had been detected during the week after stringent and comprehensive screening, testing and tracing protocols. All of them were asymptomatic — meaning the individuals tested exhibited no apparent coronavirus symptoms.
May 16 2020 - 17:35
Zimbabwe extends 'level 2' lockdown indefinitely
Zimbabwe will remain on “level 2” of its Covid-19 lockdown indefinitely, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Saturday.
In his address, the president said he was happy that the country has done fairly well considering that it was estimated that by the end of April the situation would have been disastrous.
“Government noted with satisfaction the continued positive impact of the lockdown measures our country has implemented since March 30, to date. Initial estimates indicated that by April 29, Zimbabwe would have about 1,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19,” he said.
May 16 2020 - 12:18
President to chair PCC consultation on lockdown Level 3
President Cyril Ramaphosa will onSatur day chair a meeting of the President's Coordinating Council (PCC) to deliberate preparations for moving most of the country to Level 3 of lockdown.
President @CyrilRamaphosa will today, 16/5/2020, chair a meeting of the President's Coordinating Council (PCC) to deliberate preparations for moving most of the country to COVID-19 alert Level 3. https://t.co/SSGQ5PDa9j
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) May 16, 2020
May 16 2020 - 09:40
Covid-19 awareness poster erected in Cape Town
Brent Dyssell, the managing director of Independent Outdoor Media says the sign behind him is the flagship of 27 Covid-19 outdoor awareness messages which they put up in and around Cape Town. @TimesLIVE @CapeTownEtc pic.twitter.com/mWRxNiMSyk
— Esa Alexander (@ezaap) May 16, 2020
Another Covid-19 message for Capetonians on a poster on a building on the corner of Buitensingel and Long Street @TimesLIVE @capetownmag @CapeTownEtc pic.twitter.com/wCvTBmLXBm
— Esa Alexander (@ezaap) May 16, 2020
May 16 2020 - 09:38
Labour department focuses attention on domestic and farm workers to ensure they benefit from Covid-19 relief scheme
May 16 2020 - 09:17
Over 400 Sars employees pledge part of salaries to Solidarity Fund
[Read] The Department of Employment and Labour has begun efforts to reach domestic workers and farm labourers to enable them to benefit from the COVID-19 relief scheme https://t.co/RoFlbngb4i #COVID19SA #Day51ofLockdown @deptoflabour pic.twitter.com/t2pqEZq9R3
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) May 16, 2020
[Read] Over 400 employees of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) have donated part of their salaries to the Solidary Fund as part of efforts to fight COVID-19 https://t.co/MCvZlweduO #COVID19SA#Day50ofLockdown @sarstax pic.twitter.com/px6F0uaNCK
— @SAgovnews (@SAgovnews) May 15, 2020
May 16 2020 - 9:19
Two British nationals fined for illegally entering SA during the lockdown
Two British nationals were fined R50,000 each for illegally entering SA during the lockdown.
On Friday James Hackett and Erkan Bali pleaded guilty to defeating or obstructing the administration of justice and contravening the Immigration Act when they illegally entered SA on April 11, disregarding all Covid-19 regulations and directions in terms of the management of foreign nationals entering the country.