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President Cyril Ramaphosa announces a gradual reduction in closure restrictions, and the Western Cape overtakes Gauteng as the new epicenter of the coronavirus as new national infections rise to 3,953 and the death toll reaches 75.
CAPE TOWN – President Cyril Ramaphosa announces a gradual reduction in blocking restrictions, while the Western Cape surpasses Gauteng as the new epicenter of the coronavirus as new national infections rise to 3,953 and the death toll is 75 .
BLOCKING DAY 28
BY THE NUMBERS
• The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the virus reached our coasts is now 3,953.
• 200 additional confirmed cases in the Western Cape, making it the epicenter of infections by number.
• An additional 10 deaths were recorded, for a total of 75. The Western Cape now also has the highest number of deaths recorded due to COVID-19.
• It should be noted that Thursday marked the largest daily increase in tests performed at 9,796, bringing the total number of patients evaluated to over 145,000. We are still a long way from the 30,000 tests promised per day, but we are going up.
• More than 3.6 million people have been evaluated across the country and more than 24,000 have been referred for testing.
FREEDOM WAITS … BUT EASY DOES IT
• The President reported and did what he said he would do: explained the gradual reduction of the blockade.
• We now have 5 levels: We are currently in full block at Level 5.
• Next Friday, we move to level 4.
• This means that some companies will be able to start working again under very strict conditions.
• Which companies have not yet been announced exactly, but will be reported through an analysis of the type of company, its contribution to the economy and the effect of the blockade on livelihoods. This should be detailed in a briefing or two or three in the coming days.
• Companies must comply with very strict health and safety standards, have established plans for monitoring diseases and must prepare adequately for returning to work.
• Businesses that can resume will have to restart gradually, with only a third of their staff allowed at first and the gradual addition of remaining staff over a period of time.
• Anyone who can work from home should do it.
• The number of products that can be sold will be expanded, and yes, smokers, cigarettes will be sold at level 4.
• The reopening of bars, pubs and shebeens will not be allowed, but the president did not explicitly say that the prohibition on the sale of alcohol will continue, but that the ministers will expand what will be allowed to sell during the next briefings.
• The opening of entertainment venues, for example, will not be allowed. cinemas and theaters; There are no conference rooms or convention centers.
• You will be allowed to exercise, but under strict conditions that have not yet been explained.
• All meetings remain prohibited, except at funerals and at work.
• Borders remain closed, except for repatriation, there are no trips between provinces, except for the transport of goods.
• Interprovincial travel is not allowed, except the transport of goods and funerals.
• Public transportation will operate with limitations on the number of passengers in a vehicle: all passengers must wear a face mask.
• Expect details from relevant ministers on the process for the gradual reopening of schools and other educational institutions.
LOOK: President Ramaphosa announces steps to ease SA blockade
LEVELS
• Levels are determined by the Coronavirus Command Council and are informed by several factors: the transmission rate, the availability of the health care system to cope with the path of the virus, and the current economic situation and needs.
• Level 5 is where we are now: hard and complete blocking.
• Level 4 is where we will be on May 1, so things return to a normal appearance, with some sectors returning to work, a little more personal freedom, etc.
• At level 3, some restrictions are eased, including work and social activities.
• Level 2 implies greater relaxation of the restrictions, but with strict measures of physical distance and restrictions on leisure activities.
• Level 1 is a return to something close to normal that we remember, but again, with fairly strict precautions.
• Cloth masks are our future (see how the president puts on his after the leadership) and the textile industry has been modified to start making millions of them. Everyone will need to wear them when they are out.
• Initially, the level will be determined at the national level, but finally, the provinces, districts, meters and municipalities may close.
WESTTERN CAPE OVERCOMES GAUTENG AS COVID-19 EPICENTER
• We have seen a higher number of deaths in the Western Cape and KZN compared to other provinces.
• That begs the question: why?
• Dr. Kieth Cloete, director of health for the Western Cape, says everyone who died has been elderly or has had significant comorbidities – it’s how the numbers are running right now. People with more comorbidities than just one and things like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and any other underlying disease that affects the chest have an exponentially higher risk of death.
• Chloete warned in the morning that his massive assessment reveals that the Western Cape is highly likely to surpass Gauteng as the national epicenter of COVID-19, and also said that the Western Cape will soon become the province with the highest death count: at 7: At 30 in the afternoon he was given the reason.
• They are finding significant clusters of cases specifically related to supermarkets and factories.
• The danger is that people go to one place, become infected, and then return home and create secondary infection nodes.
• It is important to note here that this does not mean that the health services are doing something wrong. The fact that they can track this type of virus movement is really a good thing because it allows them to intervene properly.
SASSA: WILL YOU BE SPENDING ON SUBSIDIES?
• Hundreds of thousands of people are likely to try to access R350’s 6-month special relief grant COVID-19 per month.
• Sassa has been tasked with making all of this happen.
• They have created a platform, which they are finalizing, that will allow people to use an SMS or WhatsApp to send a message to a Sassa, indicating that they do not receive any other subsidy, that they do not receive the payment of the FIU, they are South African and in need, along with your identification number.
• They are then verified (compared to FIUs and grant databases) and approved.
• Sassa plans to work with civil society and NGOs to help those who do not have devices to apply.
• Registered refugees and aliens with legal status will also qualify.
• Expect to start paying in early May; thereafter, they will be paid as they are approved.
• Money will be paid via eVoucher, a mobile money transfer, or directly to your bank account if they have one.
• This will replace the food packages that Sassa has been mandated to deliver.
• They are in the process of testing the system they have installed and hope to launch it.
• The number will be operational at the end of the weekend.
OTHER HELP
• The SOLIDARITY FUND now has R2.6 billion in pledge contributions.
• At the end of the week: relaunch of the website with real-time / daily panels that reflect donations, money disbursed and the real impact / people reached.
• Already spent R1 billion on PPE, promised to deliver a quarter of a million food packages by the end of April, and made funds available to allow the National Health Laboratory Services to conduct 400,000 more tests.
DIS-CHEM NAMED AND SHAME
• The Competition Commission has found inflated Dis-Chem prices before closing.
• Investigated based on a public complaint and found that Dis-Chem inflated the price of the masks.
• They sold surgical masks for R43.47 (without VAT) in February and R156.95 (without VAT) in March 2020 (and an increase of 261%).
ANOTHER FAKE
• An alleged message from the Head of Trauma at Groote Schuur Hospital was circulating on WhatsApp.
• The list of things to get used to was attributed to Professor Andrew Nicol.
• He confirmed that the message was false and said he is very disappointed.
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