Media Release: Update on the coronavirus by Premier Alan Winde

19 August 2020

As of 1pm on 19 August, the Western Cape has 5345 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of confirmed 101 433 cases and 92 423 recoveries.

Cape Metro Sub-districts:

Sub-districts:

Unallocated: 4567 (4308 recovered)

Data note: It is not always possible to check and verify that the address data supplied for each new recorded 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 24 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3665. We send our condolences to their family and friends at this time.

World Humanitarian Day:

Today we mark World Humanitarian Day and this year, the focus is on aid workers on the front lines. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the sheer heroism of our healthcare workers on the frontlines around the world and right here at home in the Western Cape. Today, we thank every single one of the people who have kept our health system running, who have put themselves at risk and who have saved lives.

The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown has also created a massive and urgent need for humanitarian aid and we have seen civil society, the private sector, NGOs, farmers, and individuals all come together to provide meals, food and support to hundreds of thousands of people who have been impacted by job losses and the inability to work and earn a living. Today, we also honour and thank those people who have recognised the significant need that exists and have stepped in to assist.

Having put all the systems necessary to overcome the peak of infections in place, the Western Cape Government is now putting the same focus onto unemployment so that we can address the humanitarian crisis which is emerging across the country. 

Earlier today, I had the opportunity to visit a few small coffee businesses in the Cape Town CBD and to chat about business. Most said that they were starting to see business improve, but as I walked just a few blocks of the CBD, I was confronted by numerous closed doors and "to let" signs in the windows. Each closed door and "to let" sign in the window means that at least one job or income has been lost, and our focus now must be on saving jobs and strengthening the economy to support new ones.

The move to alert level 2 will be an important first step, allowing many businesses in some of our key job creating sectors to resume trade. This must be done with all of the necessary safety precautions in place, because we must continue our efforts to slow down the spread of COVID-19.

Your support of small and local businesses will help them to survive and can make the difference in saving someone's job. I encourage everyone to, wherever possible, support local and small businesses. 

Businesses can access the detailed COVID-19 guidelines here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/files/atoms/files/Preventing%20and%20managing%20coronavirus%20infection%20in%20the%20workplace%20-%206%20May%202020.pdf 

Issued by Western Cape Office of the Premier, 19 August 2020