Premier Alan Winde update on Coronavirus COVID-19 on 15 May

16 May 2020

As of 1pm on 16 May, the Western Cape has 5263 active cases of Covid-19, with a total of 8507 confirmed cases and 3097 recoveries.

Sub Districts Cape Town Metro:

Sub Districts Non-Metro:

Unallocated: 474 (21 recovered)

Cases previously assigned to Witzenberg (1 case) and Mossel Bay (1 case) have been reallocated to other sub-districts due to updates in address data.

Additional data can be accessed on the dashboard at www.westerncape.gov.za/coronavirus

The Western Cape has recorded an additional ten COVID-19 deaths-bringing the total number of deaths from the virus in the province to 147. We send our condolences to the family and the loved ones of the deceased at this time.

Today's statistics show a considerable jump in new infections over the past 24 hours. There are a number of reasons for this large jump: as we have indicated before, the curve of the virus is moving faster in the Western Cape as a result of entrenched community transmission in some of the Western Cape's hotspot areas. The Western Cape has also seen a considerable increase in the number of tests conducted in the past 24 hours (6150 additional tests), and backlogs in the processing of tests at the National Health Laboratory Services result in batches of results being released simultaneously.

President's Coordinating Council:

Today, I attended a virtual meeting of the President Cyril Ramaphosa's Coordinating Council. This meeting comprises Ministers, the Premiers of all nine provinces, as well as representatives from the South African Local Government Association. 

The focus of the discussion was around the response to COVID-19 across the provinces, and the move towards alert level 3 of the lockdown. We received a number of presentations including one from the National Department of Health. 

The Western Cape presented its hotspot strategy to the group, as the provincial response to the number of infections in nine geographical areas. These areas- in each of the City of Cape Town's eight sub-districts, and in Witzenberg account for a large proportion of the Western Cape's infections. Using the data and evidence available to us, we will be able to specifically target these areas with responses from across government departments. 

All of the information presented will  be taken into the National Command Council Meeting to be held tomorrow, where further deliberations will take place.

Previous: 

15 May 2020 UPDATE

As of 1pm on 15 May, the Western Cape has 4592 active cases of Covid-19, with a total of 7586 confirmed cases and 2857  recoveries.

Sub Districts Cape Town Metro:

Sub Districts Non-Metro:

Unallocated: 127 (19 recovered)

The Western Cape has recorded an additional eight COVID-19 deaths-bringing the total number of deaths from the virus in the province to 137 . We extend our condolences to their loved ones at this time.

Additional data can be accessed on the dashboard at www.westerncape.gov.za/coronavirus

Today marks the 50th day since lockdown was implemented in South Africa and I would like to thank all the residents of the Western Cape who have played their part in helping to ensure that the Western Cape has had the time to prepare the healthcare system.

We have used that time to ramp up community screening and testing- having now screened over 447 000 people in the province based on our active case finding targeted approach, and tested over 11 600 of these. Our total testing numbers have now also topped 80 000 in the province.

We have built and opened testing and triage centres and total of 18 of these will be operational at hospitals across the province.

Work to convert the CTICC into an 850 bed hospital continues apace, and we have put out a call, and received over 1000 offers to volunteer from medical professionals in the province. We are finalising the leases on three more facilities to be used as temporary hospitals, in the province.

We have developed systems to track how much PPE is available in the Western Cape Government health system, and have several more orders in the pipeline.

We have identified and procured quarantine and isolation facilities in the province, and are working to identify more of these spaces so that we can ensure that those who are not able to self isolate or quarantine at home, can do so safely in these facilities.

We have also devised our hotspot strategies for Witzenberg and for the City of Cape Town, which provide a whole of government response to fighting infections in these areas. These strategies will provide an evidence-led and data-driven response across government departments to ensure that we respond effectively, from every angle to reduce both the spread of the virus as well as its impact on communities.

We believe that in conjunction with targeted hotspot strategy for specific geographical areas, the province can and should, move to alert level 3. It is imperative that we as a country and a province, now start to adapt to the “new normal”  and find the balance between protecting our people from COVID-19, while ensuring that they are able to work, and put food on the table for themselves and their families. The hardlock down was necessary but it has also resulted in severe economic hardship for many, and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster. It is the poor and vulnerable in our society who will bear the brunt. We need to save lives now and in the future too.

This is what we will tell President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minsiter, Dr Zweli Mkhize during the consultation process.

I would also like to once again thank all of the hard working front line staff who have worked through out this period including those in retail, agriculture, law enforcement and municipal services. I especially want to recognise our health care workers, and those across government departments, who have ensured that we have been able to care for those who are ill, while simultaneously preparing for the peak of this virus.

14 May 2020 UPDATE

As of 1pm on 14 May, the Western Cape has 4518 active cases of Covid-19, with a total of 7220 confirmed cases and 2573 recoveries.

Sub Districts Cape Town Metro:

Sub Districts Non-Metro:

Unallocated: 222

The Western Cape has recorded an additional 12 COVID-19 deaths-bringing the total number of deaths from the virus in the province to 129. We extend our condolences to their loved ones at this time.

We have started providing sub-district recoveries data in addition to the overall number of people who have recovered. This data is also available on the Western Cape Government data dashboard here. Most people who contract COVID-19 will recover and 90% will not need to be hospitalised for treatment.

One million meals:

The Western Cape Government activated an emergency feeding program for learners in the province during the week of 6-10 April, to ensure that those children who regularly received meals through the School Nutrition Programme, were still able to receive nutritious meals.

Emergency feeding has been a massive, collaborative effort by teachers, principals, departmental officials and volunteers and I would like to thank them for their work and their kindness. As a result, we have been able to serve 1.2 million take-away meals to children across the province, serving an average of 65 000 children each day for the two days per week of feeding.

I would also like to thank all of those businesses, individuals and farmers who have contributed towards the feeding of children. This truly shows what is possible when we all share the love.

Additional humanitarian relief:

The workstream dealing with the social and humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Western Cape has been mapping the relief being made available. Over 134 000 food parcels and nearly 200 000 daily cooked meals have been provided across the province by provincial and national departments, municipalities, businesses, NGOs, faith-based organisations, SASSA, and the Solidarity Fund. In total, the Western Cape Government has allocated in excess of R70 million in food relief during this period, while municipalities have contributed more than R18 million.

Alert level 3:

The demand for food and relief reflects the massive need that exists for assistance as a result of the economic pressures residents of the Western Cape and South Africa have been under since the lockdown was first put into place. As President Cyril Ramaphosa indicated last night, the lockdown has had an impact on slowing the spread of the virus, allowing us time to prepare our healthcare systems.

It is for this reason that I indicated earlier today that the province will use the consultation process announced by the President last night, to indicate that the province should move to level 3.

The Western Cape Government has developed a detailed, data-driven hotspot plan which includes the efforts and expertise of all of our government departments, in conjunction with local governments, businesses and individuals. This plan is already showing results in Witzenberg where it was first introduced, and we are working closely with the City of Cape Town to place a similar, focused approach on the geographical hotspots in the metro.

Opening up the economy further must however be done with care and with careful planning. It is for this reason that we have developed clear protocols for businesses and specific industries aimed at reducing the risk of workplace infection.

Alert level 3 will also require a heightened sense of responsibility from individuals. This level still carries restrictions on social and workplace behaviour which must be observed. We will all still need to practice good hygiene practices like regular hand washing, coughing into a tissue or the crook of the arm, and physical distancing while wearing a clean, cloth mask.

E-commerce:

We welcome the announcement by Minister Ebrahim Patel today that e-commerce sales have been re-opened. E-commerce allows many businesses, especially a number of small enterprises to continue to trade,in a way that reduces the risk of infection as contact is limited. 

Issued by Western Cape Office of the Premier, 16 May 2020