Media Release: Update on the coronavirus by Premier Alan Winde

6 July 2020

As of 1pm on 6 July, the Western Cape has 17 612 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 69 982 confirmed cases and 50 271 recoveries.

Unallocated: 10 842 (4272 recovered)

Data note:  Due to a problem with the script on our data dashboard, new cases have not allocated to their respective sub-districts and have updated in the "unallocated" category. We have therefore not updated the sub-district data today. We are working to fix the problem and will update these statistics once the problem has been rectified. 

As the province moves closer to the peak and the Department of Health is recording over 1000 new cases daily, it is not possible to check and verify that the address data supplied for each new case is correct, within the time frames required to provide regular and timely updates. This means that in some instances, cases could be allocated to the wrong sub-districts. We are working with the sub-districts to clean and verify the data and where errors are picked up locally, cases will be re-allocated to the correct areas. 

More data is available here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard

The Western Cape has recorded an additional 47 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 2099. We send our condolences to their families and friends at this time.

ECDs:

We have noted the judgement in the North Gauteng High Court, ruling that private early childhood development centres and pre-schools may re-open.

This has been a matter of much concern for many parents in the Western Cape, who need a safe place for their children while they are at work.

While we await further directions from the national Department of Social Development, I call on all ECDs and pre-schools that do intend to open, to start putting all the measures in place for their safe re-opening. It is imperative that those facilities that do re-open take all possible measures to ensure that both children and staff are protected. These measures should include training for staff members, screening procedures for staff and children on arrival each day, hand washing and hygiene protocols, staggered arrival times for children, and age-appropriate education about COVID-19.

Forest Village Housing Development:

Since the end of May, 246 housing units have been handed over to beneficiaries in the Forest Village Housing Development in Eersteriver. A further 89 beneficiaries are expected to move into Forest Village later this week.

These handovers are an indication that government business and service delivery continues to go ahead during the COVID-19 pandemic. These homes not only provide safe and dignified living spaces for our residents but they also help in our fight against the pandemic, allowing people to better social distance, and improve access to hygiene facilities for handwashing and cleaning.

While housing has longer delivery lead-times, it still forms part of our hotspot strategy response as we de-densification of informal settlements can play an important role in stopping the spread. COVID-19 is going to be with us for a long time still, and we need to be taking a pro-active, all of government approach to minimising its impact.

Issued by Western Cape Office of the Premier, 6 July 2020