Photo for illustration. The school hall at Parkview Primary caught fire and was gutted in the early hours of this morning, 24 March 2020. The cause is still unknown. Pictures: Tracy Lee Stark
Gauteng Premier David Makhura confirmed that 54 people had been arrested in connection with the burning down of schools that had been occurring during the national lockdown period.
A total of 183 schools across the country had been targeted by vandals, arsonists and burglars since all schools were closed on March 18.
Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday about updates on Covid-19, the premier said 11 people were arrested last week while 43 were arrested this week.
Makhura also confirmed that the government would set up new permanent wards, which meant an additional 800 beds, at selected hospitals in the province and further said that the command council was working with the private sector to supply additional beds.
The premier said the council was looking to increase personal protective equipment (PPE) stocks, which will also be used for selected government officials and security staff.
READ: Contact tracing working well in Gauteng – Makhura.
He also added that up to six to eight weeks of PPE stock was available for these hospitals.
“We have worked with various social partners to give food relief to 19,000 households. Those who get today, will not be getting tomorrow. We have five distribution points, that is food banks,” Makhura said.
Makhura said there was enough food to last for two weeks at these food banks.
Health MEC Bandile Masuku also spoke at the media briefing saying, there were improvement in recoveries among those who tested positive for Covid-19.
“The recoveries of those patients are increasing every day. Our tracing for people who tested positive was at 80% last week, but now we are sure that the tracing stands at over 90%.”
Masuku said health workers and patients at the province’s hospitals were also being screened.
The Health MEC commented on the Alexandra patient who tested positive for the virus saying: “It has been more than 14 days, so he is fine. Of the other eight people he made contact with, they have all been cleared.”
Masuku also apologised for how he responded to being told about overcrowding at the maternity ward at Mamelodi Hospital.
During the briefing, Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi rejected the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) claim that the Department of Social Development was distributing food parcels along “factional lines”.
READ NEXT: Masuku apologises for his response to overcrowding at Mamelodi Hospital maternity ward.
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