COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES | Zweli Mkhize urges youth to fight, after over 100 young people die of Covid-19

June 16 2020 - 15:38

Ramaphosa calls on youth to lead post Covid-19 recovery

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on young South Africans to lead the road to recovery after Covid-19.

“I am throwing a challenge to young people to begin to see that post Covid-19 is a new platform. We need to set up different ways of running our economy, of ownership of our economy, of managing our economy and of even production,” he said.

June 16 2020 - 15:08

Risks to SA's malnourished, 'home alone' children means schools must reopen: Study

After nearly 11 weeks, 90% of children are still not allowed to go to school or see their friends and family outside their homes as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown — compromising their education, welfare and mental health.

The ongoing school closures are not in the best interests of children, say researchers at the Stellenbosch University department of economics, Prof Servaas van der Berg and Dr Nic Spaull.

June 16 2020 - 14:19

We remain on track to hold municipal elections next year: IEC

The Electoral Commission (IEC) says it is on track to hold local government elections next year.

This is despite fears that the commission may not be ready due to the threat posed by Covid-19.

June 16 2020 - 13:53

Zweli Mkhize urges youth to fight, after over 100 young people die of Covid-19

Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has paid tribute to the youth of 1976 who fought against the apartheid system and also urged today’s youth to rise to the occasion and fight against the “unseen enemy” — Covid-19.

He was addressing members of the media on Tuesday as he launched the Multi-sectoral Ministerial Advisory Committee on Social Behavioural Change.

June 16 2020 - 11:51

Six more people have died of Covid-19 in Gauteng — Check your suburb here

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Gauteng sits at 12,193, with 87 deaths.

This is up from 11,164 cases and 81 deaths a day ago.

There are now 3,442 recoveries, an improvement from the 3,348 recoveries declared on Monday, says the Gauteng health department.

June 16 2020 - 9:00

Youth Day 2020: Young woman keeps healthcare workers in the know

Since the first case of Covid-19 in SA in early March, Pearl Spiller has been working 12-hour days, six days a week.

The 33-year-old head of design at the Knowledge Translation Unit, based at UCT's Lung Institute, is on a mission to roll out accessible Covid-19 information for healthcare workers so that all the latest research and evidence-based care can be presented in a way that is “engaging, clear and easy to digest”.

June 16 2020 - 9:00

Youth Day 2020: student keeps health workers safe on Covid-19 front line

Matthew Trusler spends his days creating a barrier between front line health workers and the quick-spreading Covid-19 engulfing the world.

The 24-year-old UCT biomedical engineering student came up with a design for a medical face shield, called the ViZAR, that can be manufactured by hand from easily-available products.

June 16 2020 - 8:08

The Class of 2020 speaks - Learning and friendship during Covid-19

For Colleen Pailman, this was meant to be her best year yet after scoring a spot on her school’s leadership committee.

Returning to schools over two months after it closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Pailman, 18, who described herself as an affectionate person, said she hasn’t been able to interact with the friends the way she usually would.

June 16 2020 - 8:05

Grade 7 pupils, teachers test positive for Covid-19 in North West

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the North West education system has increased to 12, said the department. 

Three are Grade 7 pupils, seven teachers, one principal and one office-based employee. 

June 16 2020 - 8:02

Meet the youth against Covid-19 - 'We don't blindly follow'

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research senior researcher Ridhwaan Suliman, 33, has been tracking Covid-19 because he found that the raw numbers in isolation do not show what is actually happening.

"So I started turning these numbers into graphs to get a better understanding of the national and provincial trends and to also compare with other countries' trajectories to understand how we're coping. I find that a graphic visual tells a better story and since this pandemic affects us all I decided to share my results on Twitter for anyone who is interested."

June 16 2020 - 7:56

Covid-19 cases climb to 73,533 in SA with 88 more deaths

South Africa recorded 88 more Covid-19 related deaths over the past 24 hours, health minister Zweli Mkhize said in an update minutes before midnight on Monday.

This brings the total mumber of deaths nationally to 1,568 with a mortality rate of 2,1%.