Category: COVID-19 Corona Virus

South Africa has 381 798 confirmed COVID-19 cases, after 8 170 new cases were identified on Tuesday.

“Regrettably, we report 195 new COVID-19-related deaths. This brings the cumulative number of deaths to 5 368.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the health care workers who treated the deceased,” said the Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize.

The total number of tests conducted to date is 2 536 921 with 31 275 new tests conducted since the last report.

The number of recoveries currently stands at 208 144 which translates to a recovery rate of 54%.

Employment and Labour Deputy Minister Boitumelo Booi says the COVID-19 Temporary Employers/ Employee Relief Fund, set up to help those who found themselves out of work due to lockdown, will be extended to August.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the national state of disaster to August as the COVID-19 pandemic spurs national efforts to mitigate the spread of infections.

“I must say, Honourable Members, that it gives me great pleasure to also announce that following due diligence and consultation with the UIF actuaries and in line with the President’s decision to extend the life of the Disaster Management Act until the 15th of August 2020, we have taken a decision to similarly extend the COVID-19 TERS benefit until the 15th of August 2020,” she said.

Booi said this when she led a debate on the department’s budget vote via a virtual National Assembly mini-plenary on Tuesday in place of Minister Thulas Nxesi, who could not make the plenary due to ill health.

Nxesi was admitted to hospital for better medical care on the advice of his medical doctors last night after testing positive for COVID-19 over a week ago.

Addressing the plenary, Booi said the benefit structure and existing criteria would remain the same and applications for April and May will be closed by the end of July although applications already received for these two months will be processed – this is the guarantee that the department gave to the people.

To date, some R34 billion in benefits has been distributed through employers in 7.4 million payments to recipients and this was in line with a commitment to provide income support for three months.

During the same period, a further R4 billion was disbursed in normal UIF benefits in 677 000 payments to beneficiaries.

“The provision of the COVID-19 TERS benefit also required strict financial controls and I am reassured, Honourable Chairperson and Honourable Members, that it was the UIF itself that detected recent attempted fraudulent activities and I am also encouraged by the speedy response of our law enforcement agencies in bringing the culprits to book,” she said.

UIF call centre improves call answer rate

Booi said, meanwhile, that the UIF is revamping its call centre to better respond to the client’s queries.

“In the last week, I can report reliably that the call answer rate has improved from 88% to 97%, reflecting an improved average speed to answer calls to 26 seconds.

“So your calls will not necessarily be ringing unanswered for a very long time but there will be a response within a few seconds,” she said.

With the cancellation of most sports and heritage events, the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has redirected R1 billion of its budget towards COVID-19 relief efforts.

Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa said this when he led a debate on the department’s budget vote to the National Assembly’s virtual sitting on Tuesday.

He said this as government, as a whole, was forced to take drastic measures to mitigate the circumstances brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Addressing Members of Parliament (MPs), Mthethwa said that for the department, this has meant that R1 billion of the department’s original budget of R5.7 billion had to be reprioritised.

“Because this was an unprecedented and unplanned global crisis, it meant that a significant amount of sport, arts and culture’s budget was reprioritised to contribute to the COVID-19 Relief Fund.

“This shift of funds has affected the annual performance plan delivery targets of the department for the 2020/21 financial year,” he said.

This he said was due to budget adjustments, as well as measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This is because of the budget adjustments, as well as because of the measures of prevention of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures of restrictions on numbers of people that can gather, the limits on inter-provincial and general travel and the need for social distancing, have led to realistic reduction of planned targets,” he said.

Mthethwa said in setting aside the R1 billion Relief Fund, several budget reprioritisation shifts had to be implemented, including:

• An amount of 10 million has been deducted out of R408 million compensation of employees budget;

• R312.5 million being reprioritised from the community libraries budget of R1.4 billion. In the remaining R1.1 billion, a further R10 million has been reallocated for the decontamination of community libraries and purchasing of personal protective equipment for staff to resume library activities.

• A budget reduction of R224 million out of R596 million participation and sports development programme was implemented. Provinces will utilise an amount of R58 million for cancelled competitions to compensate the sport sector for the loss of earnings due to the restrictions on economic activity.

• An allocation of R95 million will compensate the arts and culture sector for loss of income due to the restrictions on economic activity;

“Circumstances imposed by the outbreak forces us to further tighten our belts in the effort to save lives and create conditions for the sustainability of livelihoods beyond the pandemic. All hands on deck,” Mthethwa said.

Mthethwa said while many athletes have resumed with their training for non-contact sport which has taken place under strict health protocols and procedures.

“For contact sport, we have engaged in a staggered process of first resuming with training. The next phase will be that of engaging in competitive activities. The above outlined find expression in the detailed manner which we have gazetted thus far,”  he said.

Employment and Labour Minister Thembelani ‘Thulas’ Nxesi who tested positive for COVID-19, has been hospitalised.

According to the Presidency, Nxesi was admitted to hospital on Monday night.

Nxesi received his test results on Friday and had been in self-isolation.

His admission to hospital comes following the advice of his medical doctors.

Minister Nxesi is the second member of Cabinet to be admitted to hospital after Minerals Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe.

“We wish both Minister Nxesi and Minister Mantashe well and a speedy recovery,” said Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu.

Parliament’s House Chairperson Cedric Frolick has tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement on Monday, Parliament’s Presiding Officers wished Frolick, who is the House Chairperson responsible for Committees, Oversight and ICT a speedy recovery.

Frolick, who has gone into isolation, will be working from home during this period.

“The Presiding Officers are encouraged that Mr Frolick remains in high spirits and they are confident that he will beat the virus and recover soon.”

The Presiding Officers, National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Amos Masondo, have also wished Mineral Resources and Energy Minister and Member of the National Assembly Gwede Mantashe and his wife Nolwandle a speedy recovery.

This comes as the Minister was hospitalised for COVID-19.

Modise and Masondo have encouraged South Africans to continue keeping everyone infected with and affected by this virus in their prayers and thoughts.

“As the country expects its Coronavirus infections to peak, South Africans are urged not to lower their guard but to remain vigilant, by complying with all lockdown regulations and hygiene protocols,” they said.

Pretoria Central Police Station and SAPS Tshwane District Offices will be temporarily closed for decontamination after one of its members tested positive for COVID-19.

“The Community Service Centre will be operating at the same building Auditorium Pretoria Central SAPS, entrance at Bosman Street. However, telephone lines at Pretoria Central SAPS Community Service Centre will not be accessible during closure,” the police said.

Meanwhile, Devon Police Station has been reopened following its closure.

The community is once again requested to access the Police Community Service Centre as the station is fully operational.

The Pretoria Central SAPS management apologised for any inconvenience caused by the shutdown.

South Africa recorded 9 300 new COVID-19 infections on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases, since the outbreak in the country, to 373 628.

The daily infection rate has dropped, with less than 10 000 new cases, for the first time in two weeks.

Meanwhile, 140 more people succumbed to the disease, pushing the death toll to 5 173.

According to the Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, 194 865 people have recuperated, which translates to a recovery rate of 52%.

The majority of new cases were recorded in Gauteng, which has a total of 136 879 cases, followed by the Western Cape with 85 772, Eastern Cape 65 316 and KwaZulu-Natal 45 614.

The North West has 14 337 cases, Free State 10 727, Mpumalanga 7 424, Limpopo 5 156  and Northern Cape 2 351.

The total number of tests conducted to date is 2 505 646, with 33 899 having been conducted since the last report.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are 14 348 858 cases and 603 691 deaths worldwide.

The Minerals Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe, has been hospitalised a week after testing positive for Coronavirus, the Presidency announced on Monday.

Mantashe and his wife, Nolwandle Mantashe, received their results on 14 July, confirming they had contracted the disease and immediately went under self-quarantine.

“[On Monday], Minister Mantashe was admitted to hospital on the advice of their family doctor for better medical attention and monitoring, whilst Mrs Mantashe will continue to self-quarantine at home,” the Presidency said.

Government said it would continue to give the Mantashe family all the support they need during this time.

“We wish both Minister and Mrs Mantashe a speedy recovery from this invisible enemy and we are quite confident that they will emerge victorious against Coronavirus,” the Presidency said.

While the number of new COVID-19 cases is stabilising in the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal is expected to join Gauteng as the country’s epicentre, Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, has warned.

“In the country, Gauteng is still at the top of the rate of infections. KwaZulu-Natal is taking over now,” Mkhize said.

As of Sunday, South Africa has 364 328 confirmed COVID-19 cases, while the death toll is sitting at 5 033.

Gauteng remains the hardest-hit province with 133 617 confirmed cases, while KwaZulu-Natal has 43 215 infections.

Mkhize said his department is in discussions with the coastal province on how to move ahead, as infections are expected to peak in the next few weeks.  He said the goal now is to avert a shortage of beds and oxygen.

Mkhize was speaking during his visit to the Nasrec Field Hospital in Johannesburg to assess Gauteng’s readiness for the COVID-19 surge.

He has applauded the clinicians for a job well done in the battle to save lives and he once again affirmed his support.

“There’s no formula or textbook for this. Whenever as you clinicians feel the pressure, you need to make sure that everybody feels it, so that we must respond.

“My phone is on. Do not feel shy to call. This is an emergency, a crisis, so there is no protocol here. There is work.”

He has also addressed reports that Gauteng hospital beds are full, which he believes is created by the delays in getting test results, causing patients to be kept under investigation for longer in hospital.

“Secondly, [we believe if] the availability of oxygen [is not an issue] — if we can make sure we do not have that pressure — then I think we could be fine.”

Mkhize said the department is working around the clock to create more bed capacity so no one is turned away at hospital gates.

“There are those who may not be admitted because of the doctor’s decision, that’s it (sic). It will not be because of space, but because of the clinical judgement that you are going to be treated somewhere else and not in the hospital,” explained the Minister.

He said the drop in trauma patient numbers gave them a huge advantage and will assist clinicians with dealing with COVID-19 patients in the next few weeks.

“Until the surge hits you, you don’t know how to behave. You will only know when you are in the heat of it,” said Mkhize.

He has also assured the province that it will never run out of beds.

“We have a standing agreement that we’ll shift any patient to the private sector, especially for high care and intensive care,” he said, adding that public sector doctors will be doing the referrals.

The department is also working on getting more volunteers, which Mkhize said should be paid timeously. He has called for a 24-hour turnaround time in employing staff.

The Minister expressed faith in medical personnel, saying “our clinicians are on top of the game and have good enough experience”.

Eastern Cape visit

Mkhize said he would visit the Eastern Cape this week.

While cases continue to climb, the Minister has stressed the importance of wearing masks, using sanitisers, washing of hands, as well as social distancing.

According to the Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Bandile Masuku, the Nasrec Field Hospital has had at least 21 admissions since last week.

“We’re starting small and once it gets well organised, we are going to upscale it. By the time we get to the peak, which will be in a month’s time, this place will be up and running like a well-oiled machine,” he said.

He also expressed gratitude for the work done by healthcare professionals and those who have sponsored oxygen concentrators, while his department also procures devices.

“This is one of the things we want to do to make sure that Nasrec is fully functional and is able to alleviate the pressure from the facilities south of Gauteng, and it might extend even to the side of the West Rand and Sedibeng, depending on our capacity,” Masuku said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised the importance for government to create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

“As part of our effort to build a new economy out of this pandemic, we must create the conditions that will enable every individual to thrive in a society that supports, nurtures and helps them to succeed,” the President said on Monday.

In his newsletter to the nation, the President on Monday said small businesses present the greatest growth opportunity for the economy and are a major source of job creation.

“In such challenging times, when many have lost their jobs and the unemployed have found it even harder to eke out an existence, we must act with renewed urgency to support these businesses,” the President said.

He said the concentration of markets and capital in large firms limits the potential of small businesses.

“Then there is spatial inequality, which concentrates poverty in particular parts of our cities, towns and villages. Entrepreneurs in these areas find it difficult to raise the funds to launch and grow businesses and are often far away from the markets where they can sell their products.

“It is not enough simply to urge individuals to take advantage of opportunities or to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit among our youth. We need instead to deliberately build township and rural economies,” the President said.

He said to enable these businesses to thrive, South Africa must tackle the barriers to entrepreneurship.

“When it comes to the township and rural economy, this means providing access to finance for entrepreneurs and the self-employed,” he said.

Since the State of the Nation Address in February, government has made great progress in extending support to 1000 youth-owned businesses.

“We will reach this target by International Youth Day on 12 August, despite the delays caused by the lockdown. It also means expanding access to affordable and high-speed broadband internet, and supporting new technologies – including successful aggregation platforms like SweepSouth or Kandua – which link small businesses to demand.

“It means backing areas of opportunity such as in early childhood development, the food economy and the green economy,” the President said.

The many innovative businesses that have started during this pandemic have showcased the potential of South Africans, particularly the young people, the President said.

“It is our duty as government, business and society as a whole to lend our full support to them on their journey towards self-sufficiency and financial sustainability – both to protect the jobs we have and to replace those we have lost.

“At the same time, this is a rallying cry to other young people out there to take the great leap of faith into self-employment. The best businesses come from good ideas that respond to a community need.”

President Ramaphosa said he was pleased at the combination of foresight, creativity and business acumen displayed by a number of young South Africans, who are coming up with home-grown solutions to address the contemporary challenges faced by the country.

He said a number of young people have started small business ventures because of personal circumstances, such as losing their jobs, and others, who were previously unemployed, are now seizing the opportunity provided by the pandemic to create their own income.

He said South Africa’s economic recovery cannot wait until the Coronavirus pandemic is over. “Our economic recovery needs to start now.”

During the lockdown, government has extended support to Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in the form of loans, grants and debt restructuring.

The COVID-19 UIF Relief Scheme has now disbursed R26 billion to more than six million workers across all types of business.

“The R200 billion loan guarantee scheme is being adjusted to make it easier for applicants to receive funding quickly. Through the work of the Department of Small Business Development and its agencies, the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention and other initiatives, we are placing the township and rural economy at the centre of our reconstruction effort,” the President said.

Government aims to support township businesses with skills development and access to markets and infrastructure. This will be done through the Township Entrepreneurship Fund.

“Although its launch has been delayed by the lockdown, we will put it front and centre as we now begin the arduous task of rebuilding our economy,” the President said.