Category: COVID-19 Corona Virus

South Africa recorded 173 new deaths on Sunday, while the number of new COVID-19 infections has increased by 8 773 to 196 750.

Of the additional fatalities, 71 are from Gauteng, 40 from the Western Cape, 29 Eastern Cape, 21 KwaZulu-Natal, 10 Free State and two Northern Cape — pushing the death toll to 3 199.

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

Meanwhile, 1 830 161 tests have been completed since the epidemic and the number of recoveries stands at 93 315.

The Western Cape remains the hardest hit province with 69 531 cases, followed by Gauteng, which is expected to be the epicentre in the next coming days, with 63 404 infections.

The Eastern Cape has 35 648 cases, KwaZulu-Natal 15 146, North West 6 063, Free State 2 553, Mpumalanga 1 965, Limpopo 1 706 and Northern Cape 734.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are 11 125 245 cases of COVID-19 globally and 528 204 deaths.

With government trying to strike a delicate balance between the loss of lives and saving jobs, President Cyril Ramaphosa says government is not considering returning to a hard lockdown.

The President clarified government’s stance during his oversight visit to Mpumalanga on Friday where he assessed the province’s state of readiness for the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Another hard lockdown is not being considered for now, the issue of jobs lost concerns us. Other countries are experiencing even bigger losses. We are developing various other ways of responding to this,” said the President.

The exponential increase in COVID-19 cases ignited fierce debate across society with a hard lockdown proposed as a measure to curb the country’s rising infections.

President Ramaphosa said government would rather consider other options in the “toolbox” in fighting the pandemic.

He said the increase in numbers was expected but the National Coronavirus Command Council will examine the situation in the hardest hit provinces such as Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Western Cape.

The three provinces account for the lion’s share of the country’s COVID-19 cases with the  Western Cape leading the pack 64 841cases, 49 937 in Gauteng and 30 603 in Eastern Cape.

To date South Africa recorded its highest number of COVID-19 cases in one day as 8 728 people tested positive bringing the national total to 168 061.

On Thursday, 95 new COVID-19-related deaths were reported bringing the total number of deaths to 2 844.

Mpumalanga’s COVID-19 response plan, which seeks to target cases at a ward level and drive awareness, has received approval from President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The President visited the province on Friday to assess its state of readiness for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accompanied by Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize; Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu; Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga and Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane, the President also inspected the province’s COVID-19 facilities.

“I’m particularly pleased that your response strategy has identified key priority areas, including managing the health crisis itself. It is pleasing to know that in your priority areas, you have decided to protect vulnerable people in our communities.

“Your response strategy also focuses on behavioural change. One of the best weapons we have against Coronavirus is to change our behaviour, having accepted that we have to live with this virus,” he said.

The province’s response plan takes into consideration Mpumalanga’s relatively low COVID-19 cases, which sit at 1 478 cases, with seven deaths, as of Thursday. The plan aims to zone in on potential hotspots and build community awareness of the virus.

Presenting the Provincial Command Council’s response strategy to the President, Provincial Advisory Committee member, Dr Lesego Mawela, said Emalahleni, Govan Mbeki, Steve Tshwete and the City of Mbombela municipalities are where the province’s COVID-19 cases are located.

“We have, however, noted that appreciating these numbers at a municipal level will not help us much in terms of our response. We have now moved on to look at where these cases are from at a ward level, so that we do not go into a municipality and do a series of interventions broadly, but we will provide multiple, combined and targeted interventions in specific wards,” said Mawela.

As the country braces for a surge in infections, Mawela said the province has devised a community based approach in response to the virus.

“The first goal is to contain and limit the spread of Coronavirus, and to address critical socio-economic and health system issues caused by the pandemic,” he said.

The provincial plan also includes setting up a provincial nerve centre, tracking COVID-19 at a ward level and behavioural change campaigns in wards that are hardest hit.

Age groups most at risk

Contrary to the COVID-19 trends, which largely affect the older population, Mpumalanga reported that COVID-19 continues to affect young people, with cases peaking in the 30-39 age group.

“We have noted that the age group of interest is 20 – 49 years… Most of the province’s cases are males, who represent 53% of all cases,” said Mawela.

Mpumalanga screens 4.5 million people for COVID

In terms of screening, Mpumalanga has screened 4.5 million people, with the majority of screening emanating from communities, while others took place in the public health system. Other screenings happened through mobile services and digital applications.

A total of 6 101 contacts have been traced, 2 346 of which are still actively being monitored; 3 755 have been discharged and are regarded as not being infected.

Tests

To date, Mpumalanga has conducted 43 459 tests, 7 988 of which were conducted in the public 35 073 are from the private sector.

The province has, however, a backlog of 848 pending results.

“It is important to note that we used to have a higher number, which at some point was reduced to just below 250 and now we are seeing the backlog coming back. It is a systems problem that we need to look at,” said Mawela.

Case management and Isolation

In terms of case management, 726 of the province’s 1 478 cases are under isolation. The majority of these cases are under self-isolation.

“We have 39 patients admitted in the general ward, seven patients in high care and four in ICU,” said Mawela.

The majority of the seven deaths are from young people, with only two deaths being regarded as the targeted high-risk population, which has been the trend globally and domestically.

“It’s quite important for us as a province to see how best we reach our young people to prevent COVID-19 infections and to screen them for comorbidities,” said Mawela.

Healthcare workers infected

To date, the province has 56 healthcare workers with COVID-19. Of the 56 cases, 36 are still active and 18 have recovered.

COVID-19 cases at Mpumalanga schools

A total of 25 schools in the province have reported cases of COVID-19. The province has 23 teachers, nine learners and six support staff infected by Coronavirus.

The Department of Employment and Labour has provisionally closed the biggest Labour Centre in Pretoria situated at 239 Concilium Building at Nana Sita Street and the Brits Labour Centre in the North West.

The Pretoria Labour Centre is among the two Labour Centres in Gauteng to provisionally shut doors on Thursday after one of the supervisors tested positive for COVID-19.

The second office is Alberton Labour Centre. Members of the community serviced by these two centres are advised to utilize the nearby offices to access services.

The department says all contacts will be traced and managed according to COVID-19 guidelines and protocols.

“Our fundamental priority is the health and safety of all our employees. As part of our precautionary measures, the two centres will not be servicing clients while the deep cleaning process is carried out.

“Those who came into contact with the infected official were advised to self isolate for a period of 14 days as per COVID-19 regulations,” the Department of Labour and Employment said in a statement.

Director-General of the Department Thobile Lamati has previously stated that the safety of staff remain paramount.

“Our officials are an important cog of the working South African economy and as such, we will ensure that they are as safe as possible,” he said.

The centres are expected to reopen on Monday, 6 July, and will function under a reduced capacity as some employees will be in isolation.

“The department is deeply concerned by the growing number of infected officials and the burden it puts to nearby offices.

“We are painfully aware that the closure of some of our offices means overcrowding and long queues at the neighboring ones hence, we apologise in advance for the inconvenience and ask our esteemed clients to be patient while they visits those centres. While we mention the long waiting times, as brought by the high demand for service, we also confident in the capabilities of our dedicated staff members,” the department said.

The Nearest Labour Centres in Pretoria are:

• Atteridgeville Labour Centre at WF Nkomo and Kalafong Road
• Mamelodi Labour Centre situated at Mini Munitoria in Mamelodi West
• Bronkhorstspruit Labour Centre at 40 Botha Street in Bronkhorstspruit
• Garankuwa Labour Centre at Setlalentoa Street in Zone 5 in Garankuwa
• Soshanguve Labour Centre at 2322 Block F Neat &Fast building next to NAFCOC in Soshanguve

Alberton clients can visit the following offices:

• Brakpan Labour Centre situated at Cnr Voortrekker and High Street
• Boksburg is at Lakeside building, Bank Street,
• Benoni Labour Centre is at 10 Woburn Avenue and
• Kempton park Labour Centre is at Trust bank building, Cnr Voortrekker Rd and Wolf Street.

Clients are encouraged to use the department’s online services on www.labour.gov.za.

Brits Labour Centre

The Brits Labour Centre in the North West has also been temporarily closed following a confirmed COVID-19 case.

This, according to the department, is in order to allow employees who had been in contact with the affected employee to self-isolate and for the necessary cleaning protocols for the office to be carried out.

According to Andile Makapela, the Chief Director: Provincial Operations in the North West, the affected employee is one of the officials who have been in office since the department opened officially for the public on 8 June 2020.

“He is one of the key officials who were in office since we opened, therefore the necessary protocols are being followed to ensure that all the affected employees receive the necessary support which would include psychosocial counselling,” Makapela said.

For the Brits Labour Centre, the department has very good working relations with the local Department of Health office, whereby they have been on site on a daily basis carrying out the required screenings.

They are onboard and the tracking and tracing process is being carried out to ensure that all the people that were in contact with the employee are found and that the necessary health protocols are followed.

Though the department is concerned about the backlog on service delivery as a result of temporary closure of offices, of paramount importance is the health and safety of its clients and employees.

The temporary closure of the Brits Labour Centre brings a total number of offices closed in the North West this week to two, Klerksdorp Labour Centre was closed on the 02 July 2020.

An announcement would be made with regard to the opening of these offices which is expected to be some time next week.

Clients are encouraged to use the department’s online services found on www.labour.gov.za.

The Musina police station has been temporarily closed for decontamination after one of its members tested positive for COVID-19.

The community will now be served through the Community Service Centre operating from the old police station building on Flax Avenue, using the main gate at the back of the current police station premises.

“For certifying purposes, a caravan has been placed at the main gate, which will assist community members without them having to get into the old police station building.

“The telephone lines at Musina police station Community Service Centre will not be accessible for the duration of the closure,” the South African Police Service (SAPS) said.

The community is advised to call 10111 for emergencies and the Community Service Centre number 071 481 4213 for all other complaints.

“The Station Commander may be contacted on 082 414 6683 and the duty officer on 082 729 1142.

“The police station is expected to be fully operational again on Sunday, 5 July 2020.

“The SAPS management apologises for any inconvenience that may arise from this,” SAPS said.

The Competition Tribunal has been clamping down on companies that have been hiking prices of sanitisers and masks since the COVID-19 outbreak.

On Friday, the Tribunal said it had confirmed two consent agreements relating to COVID-19 exorbitant pricing complaints, bringing the total to 20 since April.

“All of these agreements relate to the alleged excessive pricing of goods, such as sanitisers and face masks, used by consumers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Tribunal said.

After investigating complaints from the public, the Tribunal found a Bloemfontein based company, Vasilis Supermarket T/A Vasilis Cleaning Supplies, has contravened the Competition Act.

The store sells products online for nationwide distribution and does not manufacture its products but sources these locally and internationally, the Tribunal said.

The Tribunal received information about the alleged excessive prices charged by Vasilis for different types of surgical gloves, surgical masks and dust masks.

“The Commission concluded that Vasili’s conduct of significantly escalating margins on surgical gloves and face masks without any corresponding increases in costs during the period February to April 2020, is a contravention of section 8(1)(a) of the Competition Act read together with Regulation 4 of the Consumer Protection Regulations,” the statement said.

Vasilis does not admit that its conduct constitutes a contravention of the Competition Act.

However, they have agreed to desist from pricing excessively by reducing its gross profit margins applicable to the sale of surgical gloves and facemasks to an agreed maximum percentage with immediate effect for the duration of the State of National Disaster.

The company says it will also donate essential goods amounting to R243 148.70 to three charities, Mangaung Society for Care of the Aged, Boiketlong Old Age Home and the Hearts2Hand Foundation.

The company will also contribute R44 128.51 to the Solidarity Fund and develop and implement a competition law compliance programme.

Meanwhile, Sanitech, a division of Waco Africa, has also been accused of inflating prices.

Sanitech is a supplier of sanitation facilities and offers professional washroom hygiene services through several branches nationwide.

“The Commission accuses the company of charging excessive prices for five-litre hand sanitisers during March and April 2020,” the Tribunal said.

In addition, while the company does not admit to any wrongdoing, Sanitech agrees to resolve the complaint through several remedies set out in the consent agreement.

Sanitech has also agreed to donate R65 028 to the Solidarity Fund; stop the excessive pricing; reduce its gross profit margin on hand sanitisers for the duration of the State of National Disaster.

They will also develop and implement a competition law compliance programme.

South Africa recorded its highest number of COVID-19 cases in one day, as 8 735 people tested positive, bringing the national total to 168 061.

In addition to the new cases, 95 more deaths were recorded on Thursday.

Of the 95 COVID-19 related deaths, 12 are from the Eastern Cape, 38 from Gauteng, 16 from KwaZulu-Natal and 29 from the Western Cape.

“This brings the total national deaths to 2 844, with a mortality rate of 1.7%.

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

To date, there are 81 999 recoveries, which translates to a recovery rate of 48.8%.

With 64 841cases in the Western Cape, 49 937 in Gauteng and 30 603 in Eastern Cape, the three provinces lead the national statistics, with the highest number of Coronavirus cases in the country.

As of Thursday, Free State recorded 1 886 cases, KwaZulu-Natal 11 669, Limpopo 1 286, Mpumalanga 1 478, North West 4 788 and Northern Cape 573.

A total of 1 706 127 tests have been processed, 39 188 of which having been conducted since the last report.

South Africa recorded its biggest one-day jump in new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday after 8 124 people tested positive.

Of the additional cases, Gauteng and the Western Cape, which are the hardest hit provinces, contributed to the country’s highest increase in the last 24 hours.

Gauteng’s infection rate grew by 3 063, followed by the Western Cape with 1 896, Eastern Cape 1 654, KwaZulu-Natal 958, North West 206, Free State 158 and Limpopo 44.

Overall, the country has 159 333 confirmed Coronavirus infections.

Meanwhile, 92 people died of COVID-19 related illnesses; 37 are from the Western Cape, 28 from Gauteng, 17 from the Eastern Cape and 10 from KwaZulu-Natal.

“This brings the total deaths to 2 749,” the Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize said, adding that the mortality rate is now sitting at 1.7%.

Also, 76 025 people have recovered from the disease, while 1 666 939 tests have been conducted to date.

As of Wednesday, the Western Cape had 64 377 cases, Gauteng 45 944, Eastern Cape 29 340, KwaZulu-Natal 10 632, North West 4 393, Free State 1 672, Mpumalanga 1 306, Limpopo 1 175 and Northern Cape 494.

According to the World Health Organisation, there are 10 357 662 cases globally and 508 055 deaths.

As South Africa steadily edges to its COVID-19 peak, President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged citizens not to be complacent and adhere to the regulations put in place.

“We have all seen images and this is the worrying part, of people having parties and social gatherings, attending funerals where sometimes the limited number is not adhered to and without masks.

“Tonight I want to implore all of us to embrace the regulations with the same vigour that we did in the early days. I’d like to ask that everyone should be very conscious of the actions that we take because they impact the safety of those around you,” he said.

With the country’s COVID-19 cases tipping over the 150 000 mark at 151 209 recorded on Tuesday, President Ramaphosa made the call during the first virtual Presidential Imbizo on Coronavirus.

The Imbizo, a public-participation platform where communities are able to interact directly with government on challenges in society, took place on Wednesday evening.

Citizens called in using the toll-free hotline: 0800 142 446 – and under the #PresidentialImbizo took to social media to engage the President on Coronavirus, gender-based violence, the cigarette ban and life beyond lockdown.

“We need to look at opportunities that this moment yields. What are those opportunities?

“We currently involved in looking at the various opportunities that were given rise by COVID-19, opportunities such as resetting the economy of our country.

“Coronavirus has brought with it the presence of devastating poverty, unemployment and indeed it has done so for many other countries, not that it was not known but the Coronavirus has brought it to the fore,” said the President.

The steady rise of COVID-19 infections has left many South Africans reasonably anxious as was evident in some of the questions posed to the President, which engaged the President on the symptoms of COVID-19.

While the President is admittedly not a medical doctor, he highlighted some key symptoms of COVID-19 such as chest pains, headaches, joint pain but equally stressed that some patients are asymptomatic.

On a question as to when smokers can expect the lifting of the cigarette ban, the President emphasised that this will take place as the country gradually moves through the various levels.

“We will not be under lockdown forever – even the ban on cigarettes will be lifted. It is still in place now in terms of our regulations and I think we should accept it as such and with time as we go to another level, the ban on cigarettes will be lifted,” he said.

Gender-based violence

Gender-based violence also reared its ugly head, with a caller raising her concern to the President over the inability to lay a charge of assault she recently experienced at a police station, stifled by the police officers.

Having previously highlighted gender-based violence as the country’s second pandemic, President Ramaphosa punted the importance for a multidisciplinary approach to gender-based violence that involves layers of professionals and goes beyond the opening of a case.

“It does not matter whether she has been violated by a person who is mentally challenged, she does need to have redress. The redress should be the type that involves the intervention of a whole number of professional people from social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists. They should be brought into the picture.

“It should not just be the word of the police officers because they may not be well versed in issues that have to do with people who are mentally challenged,” said the President.

Noting the socio-economic impact of the Coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown, the President urged South Africans not to underestimate the magnitude of the challenges presented by the virus.

On Tuesday, Stats SA announced that Gross Domestic Product GDP contracted by 2%. Just last week, the statistics agency announced that the country’s unemployment rose to 30.1%.

“We must not underestimate the magnitude of the challenge we are facing and we have to be realistic that it will take some time for our economy to recover. Already before the pandemic our economy was facing enormous challenges and it is for this reason that our recovery will take time,” he said.

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has confirmed it will continue to accept and process COVID-19 TERS claims submitted for April, May and June.

However, the Fund will not be accepting and processing claims for July and onwards, said Fund Commissioner, Tebogo Maruping, in a statement.

The three-month relief was introduced by government in March.

“Although June was the last month for the COVID-19 TERS [Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme] benefits, as per the directive, the UIF will continue to process and pay claims submitted for this period until the cut-off date is determined.

“However, we will not accept claims submitted for July onwards, as that falls outside of the time period stipulated in the directive for the COVID-19 TERS benefits,” Maruping said.

The Commissioner said while the Fund will accept claims for the determined period, the Fund is currently experiencing minor technical glitches with the opening of the system for June submissions.

“The main problem is with the swapping of employer profiles when users try to submit claims, which causes a potential security breach.

“We initially opened the system for June applications on 23 June 2020, and our aim was to start making the first payments on 25 June to ensure that employees do not wait too long for their salaries.

“Unfortunately, we experienced problems with the swapping of user profiles and we immediately shut it down for June and rolled back to May to fix the problem.

“We deployed the system again on the 24th of June but the problem persisted and our IT engineers have ultimately increased the capacity of the system to be able to simultaneously process claims for April, May and June. The good thing is that the data is safe and we will ultimately be able to finalise the claims and pay monies due to employees once we have resolved the current issues,” said Maruping.

To resolve problems expeditiously, the Commissioner said the Fund has roped in external resources to help. However, the Fund will make sure that the system is completely stable before re-opening for June applications.

“I wish to apologise to employers and employees for the further delays. We are, however, working around the clock to fix the problem. We anticipate complete testing by Friday, so that we can open the system again over the weekend if everything goes according to plan,” Maruping said.