19 August 2020 Update on the Coronavirus
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.
Total confirmed COVID-19 cases 101 433
Total recoveries 92 423
Total deaths 3665
Total active cases (currently infected patients) 5345
Tests conducted 460139
Hospitalisations 1126 with 224 in ICU or high care
Cape Metro Sub-districts:
Western 8638 cases; 7921 recoveries
Southern 8970 cases; 8070 recoveries
Northern 6018 cases; 5578 recoveries
Tygerberg 12500 cases; 11602 recoveries
Eastern 9331 cases; 8596 recoveries
Klipfontein 8721 cases; 7911 recoveries
Mitchells Plain 8018 cases; 7369 recoveries
Khayelitsha 7962 cases; 7430 recoveries
Total 70158 cases; 64477 recoveries
Sub-districts:
Garden Route Bitou 532 cases; 452 recoveries
Garden Route Knysna 1284 cases; 1092 recoveries
Garden Route George 3124 cases; 2735 recoveries
Garden Route Hessequa 255 cases; 201 recoveries
Garden Route Kannaland 99 cases; 70 recoveries
Garden Route Mossel Bay 1901 cases; 1578 recoveries
Garden Route Oudsthoorn 923 cases; 620 recoveries
Cape Winelands Stellenbosch 1934 cases; 1783 recoveries
Cape Winelands Drakenstein 4087 cases; 3765 recoveries
Cape Winelands Breede Valley 3095 cases; 2819 recoveries
Cape Winelands Langeberg 1065 cases; 981 recoveries
Cape Winelands Witzenberg 1441 cases; 1284 recoveries
Overberg Overstrand 1440 cases; 1380 recoveries
Overberg Cape Agulhas 243 cases; 213 recoveries
Overberg Swellendam 257 cases; 238 recoveries
Overberg Theewaterskloof 1085 cases; 1003 recoveries
West Coast Bergrivier 383 cases; 349 recoveries
West Coast Cederberg 143 cases; 126 recoveries
West Coast Matzikama 282 cases; 228 recoveries
West Coast Saldanha Bay Municipality 1243 cases; 1146 recoveries
West Coast Swartland 1366 cases; 1212 recoveries
Central Karoo Beaufort West 401 cases; 312 recoveries
Central Karoo Laingsburg 112 cases; 43 recoveries
Central Karoo Prince Albert 13 cases; 8 recoveries
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