Update on the coronavirus by Premier Alan Winde

9 February 2021

As of 1pm on 9 February, the Western Cape has 7592 active Covid-19 infections with a total of 270 303 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 252 019 recoveries.

The Western Cape has recorded 58 additional deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to10 692 . We send our condolences to their loved ones at this time.

Additional data is available on the Western Cape Covid-19 data dashboard which also features active cases per sub-district, active cases per 100 000 and 7-day moving averages. Access the data dashboard here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard

Jobs and the economy a priority for the Western Cape Economy:

The Western Cape Government has focused its recovery plan on three pillars: jobs, safety and dignity and wellbeing.

The second wave of Covid-19 had a significant impact on our economy, and on jobs as the lockdown level 3 regulations directly affected some of our key job creation industries including tourism, hospitality and agriculture.

The Western Cape Government recognises that we need to balance saving lives with protecting livelihoods and we continue to work to ensure we have protective measures in place, while still allowing businesses to function.

I will provide further details and make further announcements on our plans to stabilise and grow the economy, in order to support job creation, in my State of the Province Address, which I will deliver in Genadendal next week.

Promotion of the Western Cape:

Growing trade and investment is critical to growing our economy, and the Western Cape Government, together with Wesgro are working hard to promote the region as an excellent investment destination.

Last week, Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier and Acting US Consul General Will Stevens signed a trade and investment promotion partnership agreement which will promote shared economic development. The United States is the largest source of foreign direct investment so we look forward to working with them to further grow trade and investment in ways that are mutually beneficial to both parties.

Throughout this week, we also have two more opportunities to promote our region internationally. Tomorrow, Minister of Agriculture, Ivan Meyer, Minister Maynier and I will form part of an SA Chamber of Commerce discussion on Global trade in Africa, making the case for the Western Cape as an investment and trade destination. 

On Friday, Minister Maynier and I will also address the Consular Corps, detailing our response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the opportunities that exist in our region. This engagement traditionally takes place the day after the President's State of the Nation Address. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the meeting engagement will be held online this year. I look forward to addressing the Consular Corps each year, because it gives me an opportunity to detail the work we have done in the province, and the opportunity for us to discuss opportunities for collaboration with representatives from countries around the globe.

Scaling up job creation programmes:

As a government, we have put a number of programs and measures in place to boost the economy and to protect jobs. We have also scaled up programmes which contribute towards employment.

One such programme is a R10 million, labour intensive vegetation clearing project being undertaken by the Department of Transport and Public Works led by Minister BonginkosiMadikizela in the Western Cape and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa. This project creates employment for 80 people in the expanded public works programme until March 2022 while also creating opportunities for small-scale contractors.

The workforce includes weed cutting teams, brush cutting operators with full personal protective equipment, tree cutting teams, and workers collecting and disposing of cut material and litter.

The project contributes to safe rail transportation by removing vegetation and keeping rail reserves clear. EPWP workers are already engaged in clearing vegetation at Mutual and Langa stations on the Central Line, Ndabeni and Pinelands stations on the Cape Flats Line, Salt River and Observatory stations on the Southern Line, and Koeberg and Maitland stations on the Northern Line.

Issued by Western Cape Office of the Premier, 9 February 2021