COVID-19 WRAP | Rising concern about Western Cape infections, Don't shame hotspots: expert, High number of recoveries in Gauteng

May 17 2020 - 22:08

SA records 3 more Covid-19 deaths, rising concern about Western Cape infections

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa on Sunday night is 15,515 with 1,160 new cases identified in the last 24-hour cycle of testing.

Health minister Zweli Mkhize said, "Regrettably we report a further three Covid-19 related deaths- this brings the total national deaths to 264. We wish to express our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the healthcare workers who cared for the deceased."

May 17 2020 - 19:17

Western Cape Covid-19 cases near 10,000

The Western Cape Covid-19 cases have increased to 9,246 with 156 deaths, the provincial government said on Sunday.

May 17 2020 - 17:35

Health department call centre in East London closed after four test positive for Covid-19

A section of the Eastern Cape health department call centre building in East London has been temporarily closed and will be decontaminated after four of its head office staff tested positive for Covid-19.

This brings the number of health workers who have tested positive for the coronavirus in the province to 57, according to the health department.

May 17 2020 - 17:15

East London mom with stage 4 cancer beats coronavirus

Three weeks ago, East London mom Cheree McEwen was told that she'd contracted Covid-19 while undergoing surgery to remove more than 20 tumours from her body at Johannesburg's Morningside Mediclinic.

The hospital was later closed after 88 people there tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

McEwen initially tested negative but a second test a few days later, the results of which DispatchLIVE has seen, indicated that she had contracted the disease.

May 17 2020 - 17:13

King William's Town police station shut down after staff member tests positive for Covid-19

King William's Town police station was closed on Sunday after a member of staff  tested positive for Covid-19.

According to a statement released by Eastern Cape police spokesperson Capt Khaya Tonjeni, the community service centre would operate from the hall, normally used for affidavits, behind the police station, DispatchLIVE reported.

May 17 2020 - 17:09

Don't shame hotspots, infection can occur anywhere: expert warns

There is nowhere to run — a Covid-19 breakout can occur anywhere.

Despite case numbers rising daily, head of the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Covid-19 war room Prof Mosa Moshabela said the lockdown has been successful.

“When everyone is at home, we limit social interactions. We were never able to keep all people at home as essential workers were at the forefront. Even when people were staying home, we had outbreaks from hospitals, shops, police and so forth.

May 17 2020 - 16:00

'Strong indication' all regions in KZN will move to level 3, says Zikalala

KwaZulu-Natal is preparing to downgrade to level 3 lockdown.

This was revealed by premier Sihle Zikalala who, together with health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, addressed the media in Durban on Sunday.

Zikalala said level 3 meant more business sectors would open and that the use of public transport was expected to increase — something that requires a vigilant and focused approach and accountability by all.

May 17 2020 - 14:30

Covid-19 lockdown: Need to move faster on relief, and split tourism sector

The issue of whether some subsectors within the broader tourism sector can ease back into operations sooner is under discussion by government.

Tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane convened an emergency special virtual meeting with tourism MECs from the various provinces on Friday, her department said in a statement on Sunday.

May 17 2020 - 14:07

Out of 55,155 agri relief applicants, 15,086 were successful

Agriculture, land reform and rural development minister Thoko Didiza announced on Sunday that the government has approved 15,086 farmers for the winter Covid-19 relief programme.

In total, 55,155 farmers applied for funds between April 8 and April 22.

 An amount of R1.2bn was set aside to assist financially-distressed small-scale farmers. Of this, R400m has been allocated to beneficiaries of the government Proactive Land Acquisition Strategy. The remainder will be channelled to farmers mainly in the poultry, livestock and vegetable farming sectors.

May 17 2020 - 13:32

Let's pay companies R10,000 for each job saved: EC premier to Cyril Ramaphosa

For each job saved in manufacturing, the Eastern Cape provincial government will reward companies with R10,000.

This proposal was included in premier Oscar Mabuyane’s Covid-19 containment and mitigation plan, which he presented to President Cyril Ramaphosa at Port Elizabeth's Livingstone Hospital on Thursday, reports the Weekend Post.

The premier said the bonus scheme was among the incentives the provincial government could offer companies to retain jobs in the province.

May 17 2020 - 13:31

High number of recoveries in Gauteng, with just 54 people in hospital

Gauteng has 1,616 patient recoveries from Covid-19, with 54 people currently hospitalised in various private and state health facilities, health MEC Bandile Masuku said on Sunday.

“Out of a total of 10,332 contacts traced — these are individuals who were in contact with people who tested positive for Covid-19 — 8,156 people have completed the 14-day monitoring period with no symptoms reported and therefore they are de-isolated,” he said, referring to departmental data.

May 17 2020 - 13:09

'Moving to level 3 means lifting some restrictions on the movement of goods and people': Presidency

May 17 2020 - 11:00

Differences of opinion vital 'to arriving at the best advice': Prof Abdool Karim

IN FULL: Professor Salim S. Abdool Karim's statement in response to Professor Glenda Gray’s comments on the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) on Covid-19, which advises the government on its response to the pandemic.

May 17 2020 - 09:36

Learning from our elders: Planting veggies for the hard times ahead

“Before lockdown, l would wake up in the morning and go out job hunting,” says 21-year-old Candy Mayfair of Valhuise, Oudtshoorn. “But because l am in lockdown, l then decided to be productive.”

Mayfair had spent three years looking for a job without luck. When the Covid-19 lockdown started, she decided to get a vegetable garden going.

She says she developed an interest in gardening from her grandmother, who worked on a small holding outside Oudtshoorn. “My grandma had a big yard where she used to plant vegetables, and as a child l would help her with watering the garden,” she says.

*This article was originally published by GroundUp

May 17 2020 08:51

Mkhize defends lockdown rules as scientists say they are being sidelined

Scientists, business and labour have delivered a stark warning to the government to fast-track the easing of lockdown restrictions, saying they are having little or no effect on stemming infections - but are killing the economy.

Some members of the ministerial advisory committee (MAC), the body headed by professor Salim Abdool Karim that advises the government on its response to the pandemic, have supported their colleague Dr Glenda Gray, who said yesterday that the lockdown has no basis in science and should be called off.

May 17 2020 08:45

Cigarette ban 'a big failure in every way', says report

Economists behind an extensive survey of smokers say the lockdown ban on cigarette sales has been a spectacular failure and should be lifted as soon as possible.

More than 90% of the 12,000-plus smokers who completed an online questionnaire said they had bought cigarettes in spite of the ban.

On top of its failure to stop people smoking, the ban had strengthened illicit distribution networks that would now be difficult to dismantle, the economists said.

May 17 2020 08:40

Schools might reopen in June except those in 'hot spots'

More than 5,000 schools in Covid-19 hot spots across SA, including 929 private schools, will stay shut next month if the cabinet approves a new proposal by the basic education department.

The Sunday Times can reveal exclusively that the department wants schools in Buffalo City, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Mangaung and Nelson Mandela Bay to be regarded as being on lockdown level 5 when others around the country begin reopening on June 1.

Keeping these schools shut would affect 3.7-million pupils and 134,779 teachers.