URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT: MATRIC RAGE GATHERINGS IDENTIFIED AS SUPER-SPREADER EVENTS
6th December 2020
We wish to make an urgent announcement to all parents and learners regarding a super-spreader event that has been identified. The Rage 2020 events which we have been advised are hosted annually to celebrate the end of matriculation took place at the following areas and dates:
Rage Ballito – 27/11 – 04/12
Rage Plettenberg Bay – 27/11-05/12
Rage Johannesburg – 12/12-13/12
Rage Jeffery’s Bay – 26/11-6/12
We confirm that we have now identified a number of COVID-19 confirmed cases arising from these super-spreader events . This therefore means that if you attended any of these Rage events , you are now regarded as a contact.
We now urge all the Rage attendees to immediately go into a 10 day quarantine period as per the Department of Health Guidelines on Quarantine and Isolation. We also urge that all Rage attendants test for COVID-19.
We also encourage parents to take their children who have attended Rage for testing as soon as possible.
We warn South Africans that this is a clear illustration that large gatherings which involve the consumption of alcohol are a major risk and continue to undermine our efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
Whilst government makes an effort to contain this virus, we now plead with all parents to also exercise their their parental prerogative and set boundaries on activities that their children (specifically the youth) can participate in. It is clear that in these entertainment activities, most participants are not constantly conscious of good behaviour. This means that our youth is not only exposing themselves to the risk of contracting COVID-19, but they also put the lives of their parents, grandparents and other loved ones living with co-morbidities at risk.
We also encourage all participants of these super-spreader events to download and interact with the COVID-Alert App as part of our contact tracing efforts.
It is also worth noting reports we have received that a few private hospitals in Durban now have full ICU’s.
We continue to plead with all citizens that each individual’s behaviour will determine whether we conquer in this fight or if the virus continues to defeat our efforts.
Statement issued by Dr. Zwelini Mkhize, Minister of Health, 7 December 2020
