COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES | North West premier and public works MEC test positive for Covid-19

July 7 2020 - 22:02

We are not anarchists, National Taxi Association tells parliament

The National Taxi Association (NTA) on Tuesday told the parliamentary portfolio committee on transport that the industry is at risk of collapse if proper mitigation efforts are not made soon.  

The association was speaking during a virtual meeting chaired by Mosebenzi Zwane, who assured the taxi industry leaders that he intended to hear their concerns and try to bring about an amicable solution.

July 7 2020 - 20:35

75 SANDF healthcare workers deployed to Eastern Cape to fight Covid-19

Seventy-five South African National Defence Force (SANDF) military health services personnel have been deployed to hospitals across the Eastern Cape to help fight the spread of Covid-19, premier Oscar Mabuyane announced on Tuesday.

They include 20 medical specialists to support the health department, DispatchLIVE reported.

July 7 2020 - 18:29

North West premier tests positive for Covid-19 a day after MEC dies

North West premier Prof Tebogo Job Mokgoro has tested positive for Covid-19.

The province's public works and roads MEC Saliva Molapisi has also tested positive.

Confirmation of their test results comes just a day after cooperative governance, human settlement and traditional affairs MEC Gordon Kegakilwe died from a Covid-19 related illness.

July 7 2020 - 18:15

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday he tested positive for Covid-19, adding in a television interview that he was in good health despite running a fever.

The right-wing populist, who has played down the severity of the virus which he has called a "little flu," took the test on Monday after developing symptoms.

July 7 2020 - 17:14

More than 2,500 people in Gauteng hospitals with Covid-19

More than 2,500 people are in hospital in Gauteng due to Covid-19, the provincial government said on Tuesday.

This comes as the number of cases in Gauteng continues to rise. As of Monday - the latest available figures - there are 66,891 cases, with 19,779 recoveries and 403 deaths.

In total, 35,909 contacts have been traced, of which 22,807 have completed the 14-day monitoring period with no symptoms reported and have therefore been de-isolated.

July 7 2020 - 16:42

'Discontinue 2020 academic year': survey of parents and pupils

Having lost a significant portion of the school year to the lockdown, many parents and pupils believe the school year should be repeated in 2021.

This is according to an Ask Afrika survey. The market research company conducted a survey to track and assess public confidence in political leaders during Covid-19.

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga was rated low by participants in terms of their confidence levels, particularly around the on-again-off-again reopening of schools.

July 7 2020 - 16:30

Durban school not allowed to suspend pupils from online classes over fees

A Durban school can no longer suspend pupils from virtual classes for defaulting on school fees.

A consent order granted by the Durban high court on Monday has ordered the Durban North Primary School to refrain from contravening the Schools Act by excluding pupils from online lessons because their fees were in arrears.

The grade 4 and 7 pupils, whose father filed an urgent application against the school on Friday, will now be given access to the school's online classes for children with comorbidities or high-risk family members.

July 7 2020 - 16:25

This is when your child can go back to school

Basic education minister Angie Motshekga has announced new dates for pupils to return to class.

The new dates were published on Tuesday in the Government Gazette.

According to the gazette, grades 3 and 10 at ordinary public schools will go back on July 20, in just two weeks' time. 

July 7 2020 - 15:31

Deaths, surges and global rankings: Key Covid-19 milestones in SA

More than 200,000 Covid-19 cases and more than 3,000 deaths have been reported in SA since the first case was confirmed on March 5.

Here are some key Covid milestones in SA.

July 7 2020 - 15:22

Given Mashikinya cleared of Covid-19 and resumes training with Celtic

Bloemfontein Celtic have announced that midfielder Given Mashikinya has fully recovered from Covid-19‚ and has resumed training with his team-mates.

Celtic CEO Kumbulani Konco said that Celtic are one of the clubs who have been cleared by the PSL to resume training‚ after the Free State side’s certification of compliance with the league’s directive was passed “a few days ago”‚ he said.

He said Mashikinya‚ “has recovered from Covid-19. We received his tests yesterday [on Monday]‚ so he was back at training”.

July 7 2020 - 14:54

Company accused of overcharging for sanitisers pays R500,000 no-fault fine

The Competition Tribunal has confirmed three settlement agreements in relation to companies accused of charging excessive prices for hand sanitisers and face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The latest settlement agreements bring to 23 the number of agreements that have been confirmed as orders of the Competition Tribunal since April.

In the latest case, Caprichem has agreed to pay a R500,000 fine after it was accused by the Competition Commission of charging excessive prices for hand sanitisers.

In terms of its settlement with the commission, Caprichem also undertook to donate R100,000 to the Solidarity Fund.

July 7 2020 - 14:40

Kenya declares school year 'lost', classes back in 2021

Kenya on Tuesday declared that its school year was considered lost because of the coronavirus pandemic, and primary and secondary pupils would return to class next January.

The school year in the East African country runs from January to November, when it climaxes with end-of-term exams.

But Education Minister George Magoha said in a statement that the curve of COVID-19 infections was expected to flatten only by December.

July 7 2020 - 14:00

Wolvaardt hopes Women’s Cricket World Cup will not be scuppered by the coronavirus pandemic

Laura Wolvaardt has said that the Momentum Proteas have put in a lot of work over the last couple of years in preparations for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in January next year.

She hopes that the tournament will not be scuppered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) suspended all domestic activity for three months in March as the deadly Covid-19 disease started to ravage the cricket calendar across the world.

July 7 2020 - 13:55

Court orders insurer to pay losses incurred by restaurant during lockdown

Insurance Claims Africa (ICA) has welcomed the judgment of the Western Cape high court in which it compelled insurance company Guardrisk to honour the Covid-19 business interruption insurance claims of Cafe Chameleon, a Cape restaurant.

ICA is a specialist public loss adjustment firm championing the cause of 500 businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector in their battle to get large insurers to pay "business interruption" insurance claims.

ICA said so far insurers have been rejecting claims, even though they have extension cover for infectious and notifiable diseases, saying these policies were never meant to cover pandemics.

July 7 2020 - 13:48 

Lindiwe Zulu welcomes court judgment allowing for reopening of preschools under level 3

July 7 2020 - 13:13

Health experts say Covid-19 pandemic not as bad as predicted in SA, but the worst is still to come

Many predicted that Covid-19 would be catastrophic for SA by now. However, public health officials and doctors are now saying their earlier models were too pessimistic, CNN reports.

July 7 2020 - 13:01

Dis-Chem ordered to pay R1.2m fine for 'reprehensible' mask price hikes

The Competition Tribunal has fined Dis-Chem Pharmacies R1.2m after finding the company guilty of charging excessive prices for surgical face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In its order and reasons, the tribunal found that Dis-Chem contravened the Competition Act in that it charged an excessive price for three types of surgical face masks (SFM 50, SFM 5 and Folio50) to the detriment of consumers during March 2020.

The tribunal’s reasons will be available publicly in due course.

July 7 2020 - 12:59

Cape Town hopes for new norm as road deaths plummet in lockdown

Cape Town officials are keeping their fingers crossed that Covid-19 road traffic statistics will become “the new norm” after no deaths were recorded on the city’s roads during April.

April saw the fewest crashes since Cape Town’s freeway management system was established in 2012, with only 33 incidents.

In March, before the national lockdown came into effect, there were 223 recorded crashes along the 179km of roads monitored by the system.

July 7 2020 - 12:59

Transport department to provide PPE's to public transport facilities 

July 7 2020 - 12:18

Durban company heavily fined for locking employees in factory so they meet target of producing surgical masks 

July 7 2020 - 11:20

Brazil's Bolsonaro takes virus test after showing symptoms

Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who has long minimized the risks posed by the coronavirus, said Monday he had been tested after showing symptoms including a fever.

Bolsonaro told CNN Brazil that he underwent an X-ray of his lungs at a military hospital as a precaution. Local media said the virus test results would come at about midday Tuesday.

He also said he was taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventive measure.

Local media said the 65-year-old Bolsonaro had cleared his schedule for the week.

"The president is in good health at the moment and is in his residence," his office said in a statement.

July 7 2020 - 11:09

Restaurants trading massively down one week after reopening due to alcohol ban

Restaurant owners have doubts about their ability to turn any profits, or pay off huge debts accumulated in the past few months, given the lockdown restrictions on alcohol consumption.

July 7 2020 - 10:56

300 extra nurses to help with Gauteng's serious cases, more ventilators coming

Gauteng has been boosted its health-care services with an additional 300 nurses to help arrest the surge in Covid-19 cases.

Health minister Zweli Mkhize told  Stephen Grootes on the SAfm Sunrise show that the nurses would help in the ICU and high-care wards and areas that were under pressure.

Mkhize warned that Covid-19 cases in Gauteng were rising faster than in other parts of the country.

July 7 2020 - 10:46

Hundreds of jobs to go as Covid-19 forces Media24 to fold two newspapers and five magazines

Media24 is considering the closure of five magazines and two newspapers - along with staff cuts - in a restructuring shake-up accelerated by the "devastating" financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The pandemic has accelerated the pre-existing and long-term structural decline in print media, resulting in a devastating impact on our own already fragile print media operations, with significant declines in both circulation and advertising since April,” Ishmet Davidson, CEO of Media24, said in a statement on Tuesday.

“For many of our print titles, the benefits of prior interventions to offset the structural declines and keep them on the shelf no longer exist and they’ve run out of options in this regard.”

July 7 2020 - 10:37

Kenya to emerge from virus lockdown, resume international flights

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday announced a "phased reopening" of the country, with the resumption of international flights from August 1 as well as the lifting of internal travel restrictions.

The move comes as pressure mounts to kickstart the country's ailing economy after nearly four months of coronavirus restrictions that have devastated key industries such as tourism.

Kenyatta said in a televised address that "international air travel into and out of the territory of Kenya shall resume effective 1 August 2020."

July 7 2020 - 09:30

Panyaza Lesufi assures parents that no pupil will be deregistered if they don't return to school

Gauteng education MEC, Lesufi Panyaza, says pupils will not be deregistered if parents decide to keep them at home during the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Monday, grade R, 6 and 11 pupils returned to school for the first time since schools closed in March.

Grade 7 and 12 pupils were the first to go back to school on June 8.

July 7 2020 - 09:15

Teachers’ fears are real and they need a willing ear

The reopening of schools in SA is continuing apace amid the Covid-19 pandemic. With many teachers falling ill and some dying, support for them is crucial.

With schools steadily reopening to save what’s left of the academic year, teachers find themselves face to face with the Covid-19 pandemic that forced them to flee their classrooms in March.

At the time of publication, at least 1,000 teachers had been infected with the coronavirus and the number was rising daily in a battle they never imagined having to fight.

July 7 2020 - 09:11

Parents fear taking their children back to school as Covid-19 virus infections rise

July 7 2020 - 08:30

'I wouldn't wish this on my enemies' - Sthandiwe Kgoroge details Covid-19 battle

Former Generations actress Sthandiwe Kgoroge has opened up about testing positive for Covid-19, warning how the virus can attack your vital organs.

The star recently took to Instagram to reveal that she is living with the coronavirus, and is already nine days into her recovery.

She said Covid-19 was potentially devastating, and she did not wish it on her worst enemies.

“I don't have enemies but if I did, I wouldn't wish this on them. This virus hits at all your vital organs, everything.”

July 7 2020 - 08:29

Forced leave, retrenchments and dismissals: common questions asked by employees during lockdown

Many people in South Africa have faced challenges regarding their place of work - be it salary cuts, loss of income, retrenchments or liquidation.

The Covid-19 lockdown in SA has brought a steep drop in income for most businesses, resulting in some closing down.

During this time, employees and employers are faced with situations they have never been in before, resulting in a lot of confusion. For example, what if you are told you have to work from the workplace but it isn’t compliant with the health protocols?

July 7 2020 - 08:22

New Covid-19 strain 'up to nine times more infectious'

Covid-19 has thrown another spiked curve-ball at us.

This time it's a new strain that spreads far more quickly.

July 7 2020 - 08:12

Covid-19 blowing Africa's HIV fight off track — experts

If the disruptions to HIV programmes, which have largely been influenced by the global response to Covid-19 and protracted lockdowns, continue unabated for another six months, an additional half a million people living with HIV in Africa will die and mother-to-child transmission of HIV will be set back by a decade.

Speaking during the opening of the 23rd virtual International Aids Conference on Monday, UNAids executive director Winnie Byanyima said despite the progress made by many countries in their fight against HIV, too many people are still dying from HIV-related deaths.

July 7 2020 - 07:49

‘There. Are. No. Beds.’ Doc tells terrifying truth of SA’s Covid-19 crisis

We have probably run out of capacity to treat people. It makes you feeluseless as a doctor to have to say that to someone. 

But there’s nothing else we can do.

July 7 2020 - 07:42

'A positive mindset is essential,' says nurse who beat Covid-19

A sense of hope and faith pulled an asthmatic nurse out of the intensive care unit (ICU), where she was suffering with Covid-19 health complications.

Brenda Joshua, a nurse at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, spent three days in ICU and a total of 10 days in hospital battling her own case of Covid-19.

“The one thing I want to stress is that when you are weak there, and in your bed, whether you’re in hospital or at home, there is always hope,” said Joshua.

July 6 2020 - 07:40

Covid-19 lingo: five terms we’ve learnt under lockdown

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to create an unprecedented crisis, phrases surrounding the virus have quickly become part of our daily vocabulary.

Just a few months ago, words like “social distancing”, “self-isolation” and “quarantine” were confusing and rarely entered the daily lexicon across SA.

And now - over 100 days into the lockdown that was initially planned for 21 days - it's hard to remember a time before the jargon.

July 7 2020 - 07:33

Now this is how to ride out a pandemic. Meet Soweto’s money spinners

Bicycle entrepreneur Mpumelelo Mtintso watched his business disintegrate as Covid-19 took hold. 

But, with a deft switch of purpose he has turned a downturn into a great little earner.

July 7 2020 - 07:24

Gauteng says no need for hardlock down as it reaches over 60,000 Covid-19 cases