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President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the Coronavirus (COVID-19) a national disaster.

South Africa has imposed a travel ban on foreign nationals from high-risk countries such as Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom and China as from 18 March 2020.

South African citizens are advised to refrain from all forms of travel to or through the European Union, United States, United Kingdom and other identified high-risk countries such as China, Iran and South Korea.

Any foreign national who has visited high-risk countries in the past 20 days will be denied a visa.

South African citizens returning from high-risk countries will be subjected to testing and self-isolation or quarantine on return to South Africa.

South Africa has cancelled visas to visitors from those countries and previously granted visas are hereby revoked.

South Africa has 72 ports of entry in the country which are land, sea and air ports.

Of the 53 land ports, 35 will be shut down with effect from Monday, 16 March.

Two of the eight sea ports will be closed for passengers and crew changes (Mossel Bay and Saldanha).

Schools will be closed from Wednesday, 18 March, and will remain closed until after the Easter Weekend.

To compensate, the mid-year school holidays will be shortened by a week.

According the World Health Organisation (WHO) this is what you need to know about COVID-19.

What does the WHO pandemic declaration mean?

The declaration allows governments to activate preparedness plans and undertake emergency procedures to protect the public, such as travel and trade restrictions.

When is a pandemic declared?

Generally, the WHO will declare a pandemic when there is sustained community outbreaks on different continents.

When was the last global pandemic?

The WHO last declared in 2009 for the H1N1 flu.

What is the difference between an outbreak, epidemic and pandemic?

An outbreak is a sudden rise in cases of a disease in a particular place. An epidemic is a large outbreak. A pandemic means a global epidemic.

Does a pandemic reflect the severity of a disease?

A pandemic has nothing to do with how serious an illness is. It just means a disease is spreading widely and at an alarming rate.

What can I do to minimise the risk of infection?

The virus is very susceptible to common anti-bacterial cleaning agents such as bleach, and alcohol-based cleaners (60% volume). Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Maintain at least 1 metre distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unclean hands.

What is self-isolation?

Self-isolation is a way to keep yourself from possibly infecting others if you think you might be infected. It involves limiting contact with public places, relatives, friends, colleagues, and public transport.

I have flu like symptoms, should I get tested?

The symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or fever.  However, these are also symptoms of the flu. The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) recommends that you should only get tested if you display symptoms plus:

• Been in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 person;
• Travelled to a high risk country;
• Worked in or been to a healthcare facility treating people with Covid-19;
• Have a severe case of pneumonia with an unknown cause.
• However, one should consult your medical practitioner immediately if you display symptoms.

Where should I go if I want to test for COVID-19?

If you think you might have contracted the virus, you can call the NICD helpline (0800 029 999) and you will be advised on possible testing facilities. However, testing is not routinely done unless testing is indicated by a health professional therefore one would need to be assessed by your medical practitioner in order to qualify for testing.

What happens if I test positive?

Anyone who tests positive will immediately be notified and put into quarantine at home or at a facility designated to manage the outbreak. You will then remain in quarantine until repeat testing shows you no longer have the virus.

How much does the test cost?

Public sector testing is free of charge. Private laboratories such as Lancet, Ampath and Pathcare can also test for SARS-CoV-2. Enquiry should be with the respective laboratory for their costing of the test. If going via a private lab, it is advisable to check with your medical aid to ascertain if they will cover the costs for the test.

How is COVID-19 infection treated?

There is no specific treatment available for SARS-CoV-2. Treatment is supportive (e.g. providing oxygen for patients with shortness of breath or managing a fever). Antibiotics do not treat viral infections. However, antibiotics may be required if a secondary bacterial infection develops. Currently there is a vaccine being developed.

Which hospitals will treat COVID-19 infected patients?

The following hospitals have also been identified as centres for isolation and treatment of people infected with Coronavirus:

• Polokwane Hospital in Limpopo;
• Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mpumalanga;
• Charlotte Maxeke Hospital, Steve Biko Hospital and Tembisa Hospitals in Gauteng;
• Greys Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal;
• Klerksdorp Hospital in the North West;
• Kimberly Hospital in the Northern Cape;
• Pelonomi Hospital in the Free State;
• Livingstone Hospital in the Eastern Cape; and
• Tygerberg Hospital in the Western Cape.

The Department of Health has confirmed that as of Monday morning South Africa now has 62 confirmed and verified cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

It added that there are more cases but these are yet to be verified.

The department reported that Limpopo now has its first confirmed case, 29 year-old male who had travelled to France and Netherlands.

“We also wish to mention that there are two cases of local transmission which have been presented to the NICD. These are under investigation. We are in the process of conducting confirmation tests and establish their direct contacts and those whom they have subsequently come into contact with.

“All the patients have been advised and contact tracing is underway,” said the department in its statement.

There are seven new cases in Gauteng:

– A 33 year-old male who had travelled to Spain

– A 68 year-old female who had travelled to Austria

– A 30 year-old male who had travelled to India

– A 39 year-old male who had travelled to the US

– A 43 year-old female who had travelled to the US

– A 50 year-old male who had travelled to France and the UK

– A 37 year-old male who had travelled to the US, Dubai and Mexico

Two new cases in the Western Cape:

– A 39 year-old male who had travelled to Canada

– A 15 year-old male who had travel travelled to France

One case in Mpumalanga is a 55 year-old male who had travelled to France.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) at the weekend announced that doctors no longer need to contact the NICD for approval to test for COVID-19 as long as they apply the case definition before testing.

The NICD will test the submitted samples as long as the required supporting documents accompany the sample which is available on the NICD website: http://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/covid-19/.

With Coronavirus (COVID-19) expected to have a negative impact on the economy, the South African government has announced measures that seek to mitigate the impact.

At a ministerial media briefing on government’s COVID-19 intervention, Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel on Monday said government had identified six focus areas.

“These will seek to support efforts of containing the spread of the virus and ensuring that there are economic means to fight it off,” Patel said on Monday.

The first one will see government monitoring the impact of the virus on the global economy and critical export channels that South Africa depends on.

“Secondly, we’ve worked to secure supplies of basic public hygiene and medical stocks,” Patel said.

The third area is on industrial measures that protect against infection. The fourth is on the organisation of industry, with less potential downtime and short-time in shutdowns.

“Fifth, we are in discussion on measures to deal with the anticipation global economic slowdown. Finally, looking at securing supply chains and dealing with disruptions,” he said.

Later this afternoon, Patel and the Minister of Employment and Labour, Thulas Nxesi, will meet the business community leadership and trade unions at a specially convened EXCO NEDLAC [National Economic Development and Labour Council] meeting.

“We will sit with colleagues and develop common approaches and common communication, so we have a coordinated response,” he said.

Patel said government has also been reaching out to various sectors for discussions.

“We have been in communication with the food and beverage sectors, steel, auto, retail, pharmaceutical, mining companies and importers of the basic foods that we eat.

“It is important to secure stocks, the provision of hand sanitisers, masks, gloves and protective clothing and test kits; to analyse and quantify existing production capabilities, and to look at what needs to be done to scale up and what some of the constraints are.”

He said government is working on getting every sector to be on board with plans to limit and avoid the spread in the workplace through social distance provision in areas such canteens and clocking off.

“All of these will be rapidly worked on after the NEDLAC meeting,” he said.

The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs will formulate regulations to guide the response to the Coronavirus pandemic, which President Ramaphosa has declared a national disaster.

At a ministerial briefing on Monday in Tshwane, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said the regulations will be completed today, and will then be communicated with the ministry’s stakeholders. These include the country’s 258 municipalities, provincial governments, the South African Local Government Association, traditional leaders and civil society.

“We will have a teleconference with provincial governments as soon as the regulations are ready so that we are all on board, and we will then communicate with the municipalities. We will meet stakeholders at various levels,” Dlamini-Zuma said.

The interventions announced by the President on Sunday also threw a curve ball for the upcoming by-elections in various municipalities.

“We are in contact with the IEC [Independent Electoral Commission] because the announcement has huge implications. Some of the by-elections were supposed to take place this week, and some were supposed to take place next month… This may completely change [the way the IEC does things],” said Dlamini-Zuma.

The department is now in touch with the IEC, which the Minister said might request for an extension of the 90-day requirement for by-elections.

She said this will allow the IEC and government to rollout other contingencies, as elections require physical contact at polling stations.

Dlamini-Zuma said municipalities will also be urged to ensure that public gatherings do not attract large crowds.

The gathering restrictions (of not more than 100 people) announced by government also coincide with the ongoing Integrated Development Planning (IDPs) public consultations in the country’s municipalities.

“We may have to tweak the way the IDPs are conducted. Some gatherings are big, so they might have to be fragmented,” she said.

The department has already cancelled travel.

Cogta will also embark on an educational campaign in wards in municipal districts, as the information might not speedily trickle to these groups.

“They might not be able to follow the trend of finding out who they’ve been in contact with and to self-quarantine. We need to identify facilities in these areas,” she said.

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has announced that funds will be diverted from other government programmes in an effort to tackle the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday announced that due to the severity of the virus and its rapid spreading, government will make funding available to capacitate the sectors dealing with the national response to the Coronavirus outbreak.

“We stand ready to do two things: one, there are funds available immediately in the national disaster fund, which are immediately available. I won’t mention amounts should prices change.”

Secondly, as the situation develops, government will need to set aside further funding and it will have to reduce programmes throughout government.

National Treasury officials are in contact with financial sector regulatory authorities that report to the finance minister in order to make sure that there is a coordinated approach. This relates to the banking and financial sectors.

“The key issue here is to say that we should never have a situation where we say we are unable to procure testing facilities or whatever is necessary.

“At the end of the day activities have to be paid for,” said Mboweni.

He said various structural arrangements were already in place.

“The National Treasury itself has to be organised, they already have a national treasury coordinating working group which is chaired by one of the DDGs and meet as regularly as they see fit,” he said.

There is also a structural arrangement between the Department of Health and the National Treasury. They too will communicate and meet as regularly as possible.

The Minister of Finance and the MECs of Finance will coordinate whatever needs to be done financially.

“The MECs will coordinate with their MECs for health, who will be coordinating with the Health Minister. These are structural arrangements to make sure that we are organized and not haphazard,” he said.

An amount of R4 million has been redirected from some projects in the Department of Science and Innovation to fund COVID–19 related proposed interventions.

At a multi-ministerial briefing on Monday in Tshwane, the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr Blade Nzimande, announced some steps his ministry would take as part of collective efforts to combat the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Through the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), Nzimande’s ministry is engaging with the Department of Health, the Medical Research Council and the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority to mobilise funding, reprioritise research strategies, and create an enabling ethical and regulatory framework to facilitate research on COVID-19.

Nzimande said DSI has now redirected R4 million from other projects to some of the COVID–19 related proposed interventions, and will be costing the rest and mobilising additional funds going forward.

“Given the recent emergence of COVID-19 at a global level and the concomitant lack of adequate information on the epidemiology, therapeutic management or natural history of COVID-19 or vaccine availability, it is important for researchers in South Africa to coordinate a response to the outbreak to facilitate its control.

“In our continent, Africa, the natural history of COVID-19 has not been established and the risk factors for transmission and clinical outcome is unknown. Therefore, there is an urgent need to describe the epidemiology of COVID-19 in our country, as well as to address diagnostic, therapeutic, host and viral factors that may facilitate transmission or protect against infection,” Nzimande said.

Currently, the Minister said, it appears that there is low mortality in children under nine years of age and mortality is the highest among men, increasing with age, smokers and persons with underlying lung and immune disorders.

Nzimande said it is important that local research focuses on surveillance, therapeutics and understanding the local epidemiology and natural history.

National framework for COVID-19 research

In this regard, the Minister said a sub-committee has been established to coordinate a national framework for research on COVID-19. He said the department is looking at availing some funds towards this research.

The following research agenda has been proposed:

• Clinical/therapeutic research: This includes a focus on the World Health Organisation’s common protocol and other clinical protocols/research ideas. Strategies for the management of mild, moderate and severe COVID-19 infections will be considered and prioritised for further development, costing and implementation, and
• Regulatory and ethics: This includes the review and approval of ethical and regulatory challenges pertaining to clinical research.

“We are also going to prioritise surveillance strategies, with the view of funding the top priorities,” Nzimande said.

Doing things differently

With regards to international engagement, Nzimande said the department has put contingency measures in place, including the use of video conferencing to appropriately service its international cooperation portfolio in the coming weeks, without the need for any outgoing international travel or receiving incoming delegations.

“We maintain close contact with our international partners in this regard. All major international meetings we were due to host in the coming weeks have been postponed, and we will be able to satisfactorily mitigate against the impact of these postponements.

“We are alert to opportunities for international research and innovation partnerships to support the fight against COVID-19, and will facilitate South Africa’s participation in such cooperation using our extensive portfolio of international cooperation instruments.

“South African researchers are, for example, already involved in relevant projects funded by the European Union,” the Minister said.

Public hearings into land expropriation without compensation will be postponed amid the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Ad Hoc Committee to Initiate and Introduce Legislation Amending Section 25 of the Constitution, which would allow for the expropriation of land without compensation, announced the decision on Monday.

Committee chairperson, Dr Mathole Motshekga, said taking into consideration the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa of a national disaster, it is in the interest of all South Africans to postpone the hearings until further notice.

The announcement included a prohibition of non-essential gatherings of 100 people or more.

“Up to now, we have seen hundreds of people attending each session at the public hearings. It is clear the need for land is urgent and huge crowds attend.

“In light of this, we are mindful not to expose more South Africans to COVID-19,” Motshekga said.

The committee was due to hold public hearings at Parliament from Tuesday.

The committee has already held hearings in the Free State, Mpumalanga, North West, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Gauteng.

Dr Motshekga said the committee will keep the public informed as to when the public hearings will resume.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Wits University, University of Cape Town and the University of Johannesburg have suspended their academic programmes and graduations due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

In a statement released by the UKZN Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Nana Poku, said at this point, while the university has not experienced any COVID-19 incidents that would be a cause for a change in normal operating procedures, management is cognisant of the President’s ban of gatherings of more than 100 people.

“To this end, the academic programme is suspended, including tests, with immediate effect until further notice, pending further engagements on a sector-wide approach regarding contact classes.

“Given the uncertainties surrounding timelines for normalisation of our academic programme, EMC (Emergency Medical Care) has resolved to work with Senate to ensure that all lectures are recorded and loaded onto virtual platforms as a matter of urgency.

The DVC (division of the deputy vice-chancellor) teaching and learning will follow-up with a separate communique in due course,” Poku explained.

He said the university remains open and operation, as it seeks further guidance from the relevant ministries through Universities South Africa (USAf).

Graduation ceremonies cancelled

Poku said after due consideration of inputs from the university’s COVID-19 team of experts and other key stakeholders, a decision has been taken to cancel the 2020 April graduation ceremonies.

In April every year, the university traditionally hosts in excess of 20 graduation ceremonies and during this time, approximately 30 000 graduands and their families from all over South Africa and beyond the country’s borders descend upon the university.

Poku said the university is exploring options to ensure that graduands receive their qualifications and other related documents by the end of April 2020.

Further information will be published on the UKZN website and via email.

“The university regrets the inconvenience caused, but felt it important to minimise the risks associated with such a large gathering and exposure to individuals who may have been exposed to Coronavirus,” Poku said.

Travel and other restrictions

With regard to travel, Poku said it has become necessary to implement the following contingency measures and restrictions until further notice:

• All university-related international travel is prohibited;
• All university-related non-essential domestic air travel is prohibited;
• Personal international travel is strongly discouraged; and
• Extreme caution and judgment should be applied for personal domestic air travel.

“Anyone returning or arriving from an international destination should advise their line manager at least 72 hours prior to arrival. The line manager will consult the COVID-19 team, who will advise accordingly on the necessary protection measures.

“We strongly encourage the use of technology for non-essential meetings and events.

“All staff and students are reminded that reimbursements for travel cancellations can only be processed in line with the cancellation policies of the relevant service providers and no additional reimbursements will be provided by the university,” Poku said.

Wits University cancels contact teaching

Meanwhile, Wits University has also suspended all contact teaching and university activities that require face-to-face meetings, following a positive test for COVID-19 from one of the students.

The test was conducted by a private laboratory.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) will conduct a retest in order to confirm and validate the results before they are released.

University of Cape Town

The University of Cape Town has also confirmed that one of its staff members had tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, said the institution will be closed immediately and students must vacate residences within 72 hours from 16 March 2020.

University of Johannesburg

The University of Johannesburg has also announced the suspension of all contact teaching and learning activities with effect from 16 March 2020.

A comprehensive announcement regarding the programme of both Houses of Parliament, the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, will be made after a meeting on Tuesday.

Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said that a special meeting between the Presiding Officers of Parliament and the whippery will take place on Tuesday to consider the way forward in light of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement to curb the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Mothapo said after consultations with the whips and representatives of political parties, a decision has been taken to cancel the plenary sitting of the National Assembly scheduled for Tuesday.

“The National Assembly will now sit on Wednesday, 18 March to conduct urgent business that would have been dealt with on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, this will include the consideration of the Division of Revenue Bill. Subject to availability of members of the Executive, the time for the sitting on Wednesday is 10am,” Mothapo said in a statement.

Committee meetings will meet as scheduled until further notice.

NCOP cancels public meetings

The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has also cancelled public meetings scheduled for Thursday in three Gauteng municipalities.

The public meetings were part of the three-day report back session of the NCOP’s flagship programme, Taking Parliament to the People (TPTTP).

“The NCOP will only meet on Thursday to consider an urgent business: the intervention in the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in terms of section 139 (1)(c),” Mothapo said.

On Sunday, President Ramaphosa announced a number of interventions to curb the spread of COVID-19 in South Africa. These include, amongst others, closing of schools from Wednesday, 18 March closing of 35 ports of entry and imposing a travel ban on foreign nationals from countries hardest hit by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The measures were the outcome of an emergency Cabinet meeting held on Sunday in Pretoria.

President Ramaphosa said the interventions were aimed at protecting South African citizens and the economy and reducing the impact of what he said was a medical emergency far graver than what has been experienced in over a century.