Three virus deaths in Gauteng, MEC’s office says

Three people in Gauteng who were confirmed to have had the novel coronavirus, have died, according to a statement from the health MEC’s office.

The province had the highest number of positive cases at 865 on Sunday out of the national figure of 2,173.

In the statement released on Monday afternoon, it was noted that Johannesburg had 508 cases, Tshwane 101, the West Rand 30, Sedibeng 8, Ekurhuleni 141, and 77 were not allocated (usually due to missing information on the testing form).

Sixty-two people were in hospital in various facilities across the province.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize is scheduled to participate in an online discussion on the virus later on Monday. He could provide figures for the rest of the country.

On Sunday, author and radio personality Redi Tlhabi related a heartbreaking account of her husband’s cousin’s death as a result of Covid-19.

She said Benedict Somi Vilakazi had been extremely careful since President Cyril Ramaphosa sounded the alarm on 15 March and had closed his coffee shop in Soweto as a precaution. He had not felt well and had gone to see a doctor.

Tlhabi said that he had attended two funerals and the general practitioner’s rooms.

In the meantime, the Western Cape government appealed to people to stay at home after detecting more locally transmitted cases among the 628 confirmed cases in the province.

In the Western Cape, 29 Covid-19 positive people are being treated in hospitals in the province and 15 of these are in intensive care.

“As a province, we have seen an uptick in the number of community transmissions, especially in the metro area,” Premier Alan Winde said in a statement.

“We therefore call on all of our residents to take precautions to keep themselves and their families safe.

“Residents are reminded that they should only leave their homes to purchase food, collect a social grant, go to the pharmacy, seek medical attention, or if they are employed to do an essential service.”

“When leaving home for these activities, it is vital that people practice social distancing, including leaving sufficient space in queues, and in other places like taxi ranks and bus stops. Make sure you wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your face, and if you are able to, wear a clean, cloth mask.

“Cloth masks must always be used in conjunction with other hygiene methods and must be carefully put on and taken off, using only the ties or strings. They should be washed and ironed after every use.”

Two cases which appeared in Sunday’s update for Mossel Bay were re-allocated to the metro region. Mossel Bay therefore currently has 17 cases.

The province’s community screening and testing will resume on Tuesday and communities are encouraged to participate to identify “pockets of infection”.

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