Media Release

1 April 2020

As at 00h01 on 1 April 2020, a total of 370 positive COVID-19 cases had been recorded in the province.

Sub District Breakdown (Cape Town metro):

 Sub District Breakdown (Non-metro):

 Not allocated by address: 3

A note for media on the statistics reported: Lab results are accessed directly from laboratories in the province, and there can be a lag between these results and those formally registered on the system with the National Department of Health. This can create discrepancies between the national and provincial data but does not impact the accuracy of any of the numbers released.

We currently have 16 patients in hospital, with four receiving treatment in ICU.

Our contact tracing teams continue to work to quickly identify and isolate close contacts in all instances of a positive case being identified. We currently have 20 people whom we have placed into isolation facilities, where they are receiving appropriate care. We acknowledge that for some, self-isolation will not always be possible and we are working to identify additional facilities to be used as quarantine and isolation sites across the province.

Our aim is to provide appropriate medical care to those who are diagnosed with COVID-19, no matter where in the province they are.

In order to do this, our healthcare workers and frontline staff must be kept safe.

Over the past week, we have continued to see a number of attacks on our Emergency Medical Services officials and vehicles.

Health Minister Nomafrench Mbombo said: “I strongly condemn the senseless attacks on our Emergency Medical Services (EMS) officials and vehicles. It is important for our people to realize that safety of communities is inextricably linked to the safety of health workers. It is sad that often these attacks take place in extremely vulnerable communities where emergency services are most needed. Currently we are facing challenging service pressures with the COVID-19 pandemic in our country. This is a period where Emergency Medical Services will be in demand at a community-level, even more than usual, in the public health system I urge all residents to protect EMS personnel while they are rendering this crucial service and should they witness any attacks, to report these to police immediately.”

Police:

Today, the leadership of the SAPS in the Western Cape briefed our cabinet on their operations during this lockdown period.

Cabinet requested clarity on SAPS’s interpretation of some of the regulations, and raised issues of police brutality. Police brutality of any form should not be tolerated and we call on all members of the community who have experienced violence at the hands of SAPS officers to report these to IPID.

Repatriations:

SAPS also briefed the cabinet on the repatriation of foreign nationals, in line with the announcements made by Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula. These repatriations will be done in controlled exercises for foreign nationals whose home countries will be sending chartered flights. The Western Cape Government, through our Joint Operations Centre, is working to make these processes as smooth and safe as possible.

First Thursday:

Due to the nationwide lockdown, in-person First Thursday has been put on hold but tomorrow, Premier Winde will be participating in a special First Thursday Lockdown edition radio show From 6pm – 6:30pm this Thursday, residents will be able to call in for a live Q&A with Premier Winde on Coronavirus, and measures to stop the spread. It will be aired on Bush Radio and simulcast on Radio Atlantis, Eden fm, Gamka Magic828, Namakwaland, Tygerberg, Valley fm and Voice of the Cape. A recording of the show will also be aired on Friday on Zibonele and Radio 786.

01 April 2020

Release: immediately

We would like to thank all businesses in the province for the great sacrifices they are making during the lockdown to help us stop the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19) in the Western Cape. We know that times are tough, and so we continue to work hard to back businesses and to save businesses, jobs and the economy in the Western Cape.

Central to our strategy to support businesses and the economy in the Western Cape is helping businesses understand and adapt to the lockdown regulations so that as many businesses as possible can continue to operate during this challenging time.

And so, we’ve been in regular contact with stakeholders at national government and at the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape to get clarity on the regulations for lockdown and how they impact on businesses and workers in the Western Cape.

Clarity on the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) certificate

In the first instance it is important to inform businesses in the Western Cape that if you provide an essential service it is NOT a legal requirement for you to obtain a Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) certificate in order to operate.

The CIPC certificate, which can be obtained from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on the bizportal.gov.za website, is not compulsory and is not a requirement of the lockdown regulations.

Furthermore, unless you and your staff can work from home during the lockdown, if your business continues to operate during the lockdown and is NOT providing an essential service you are committing a criminal offence. Law enforcement will close your business and may even arrest you, regardless of whether you have the CIPC certificate or not.

Further clarity on essential services selling essential goods

We realise also that there has been some confusion about what stores are able to remain open to provide essential goods. We can confirm the following (in alignment with SAPS Western Cape):

• Grocery stores include large retail chains as well as smaller corner grocery stores, fruit and veg shops, butchers and convenience stores at filling stations.
• Pet and veterinary stores are permitted to be open. They may ONLY sell animal food and animal medicines.
• Health food shops that sell food, hygiene products and / or cleaning products are permitted to be open. If open, these stores may ONLY sell essential goods.
• Cellphone shops are not allowed to be open. They would only be allowed to sell airtime, and this can be bought at any grocery store, spaza shop or online.
• Money lending businesses are not permitted to be open.
• Cigarettes may be sold during the lockdown, but only together with essential goods.
• Businesses can deliver essential goods to people’s homes, but they can’t deliver hot meals or any non-essential goods to people’s homes.

Providing permits for your staff to travel to work

Secondly, it is critical that if your business provides essential services, you must provide each of your staff with a permit, in writing, in the prescribed form, which gives them permission to leave their home and travel to work.

Advise your staff that they must carry this permit with them whenever they travel, together with a recent ID, so that they can show enforcement officers who may stop them while they are travelling.

Your staff may only use these permits when they are travelling to and from work, as the purpose of the lockdown is to reduce unnecessary movement so that we can stop the spread of Covid-19 infection. Unnecessary travel risks their lives and the lives of others.

Please remember that the purpose of the lockdown is to stop the spread of Covid-19, so even if your business is allowed to operate during the lockdown, if your staff can work from home, please allow them to do so. And, if they must come into the workplace then please ensure that every safety and hygiene measure is implemented to ensure social distancing and stop the spread of Covid-19 in accordance with the requirements of the regulations.

Resources and support for businesses in the Western Cape, including a “Corporate Toolkit”

We know that you are doing your utmost to help stop the spread of Covid-19 in your business, and ensure the health and safety of your staff and customers. To support you, we have created a “Corporate Toolkit” which includes posters, collateral and other resources for you to distribute across your business to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

Visit our website to download the Corporate Toolkit.

In addition, more details on lockdown regulations, the financial relief currently available to businesses, and the answers to many other Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for businesses can be found on our websites:

http://www.supportbusiness.co.za

http://www.westerncape.gov.za/coronavirus

Any businesses who need assistance can email their questions to supportbusiness@wesgro.co.za.

We are all in this together and every single one of us is responsible for stopping the spread of Covid-19 in the Western Cape.

We will all have to pull together, and we will all have to work together, in the coming days, and weeks, and months because, in the end, it is up to all of us to stop the spread of Covid-19 in the Western Cape.

Notes for media:

• Find link to article online here: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/news/helping-businesses-understand-and-adapt-lockdown-regulations

Media Queries:

Francine Higham

Spokesperson for the Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities

(Responsible for the Provincial Treasury and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism)

MEDIA RELEASE BY DAVID MAYNIER

WESTERN CAPE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

1 April 2020

Municipalities across the Western Cape continue to roll out a broad collection of interventions aimed at mitigating the impact of Covid-19 in their communities.

The Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape, Anton Bredell, says council’s primary responsibility is to continue to ensure that basic services, including water, sanitation, electricity and cleaning continues.

“In addition councils are doing everything within their means to assist their communities who are all struggling as a result of the Covid-19 virus and the impact thereof.”

The following initiatives have already been undertaken in Western Cape municipalities:

• Key services including technical services, water, sewerage, electricity and waste management continues.
• Water and electricity restrictions have been lifted in areas where it may have been implemented to date.
• Councils are working closely with SAPS and the SANDF to ensure the safety of all communities.
• Loud hailing pertaining to COVID-19 operations and information is done in rural areas and informal settlements.

A snapshot of some of the additional measures some councils have undertaken include but are not limited to:

• Stellenbosch Municipality will suspend all rate collections for three months. In addition all homeless residents in the Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Klapmuts areas are being accommodated in temporary accommodation.
• In Overstrand Municipality, businesses who find themselves in financial stress, as a result of the lockdown and cannot pay their accounts due for March 2020 and/or April 2020, may enter into an extended term of payment agreement in order for their payments to be done over a period of 6 months. Residential customers, who find themselves in financial stress, as a result of the lockdown and cannot pay their accounts due for March 2020 and/or April 2020, may also enter into an extended payment agreement in order to pay these accounts, over a twelve month period. In addition, all tenants of the Municipality who cannot make use of the premises they lease, for the purpose it is leased for, such as business premises, stalls, etc. will be exempted from the payment of their rental for the months of April 2020 and May 2020.
• In Hessequa municipality all ward councillors have been provided with funding to provide food parcels to their constituencies where needed.
• Swartland Municipality is working with the private sector to develop feeding schemes for homeless people. The municipality is still considering a possible payment holiday for property rates as well as writing off interest on arrear accounts.
• In Witzenberg municipality, the council has decided not to implement strict credit control during the lockdown period. All prepaid electricity meters that may have been shut off due to non-payment has been reconnected. Shelter has been arranged for homeless people needing accommodation during this time.
• Saldanha-Bay: A temporary suspension of all credit control measures and procedures will be implemented until the end of April 2020, meaning that there will be no blocked electricity meters and no restriction measures. The Free basic water allocation for indigent residents will be increased from 6 to 10 kilolitres from April 2020 until the end of June 2020. The largest holiday resort has been made available for a containment area if needs be.
• Drakenstein municipality has lifted all water and electricity blocks. Temporary shelter for the homeless has been arranged.
• BreedeVallei municipality has rolled out additional water points and toilets in informal settlements which are also being serviced on a greater frequency.
• Mosselbay Municipality is providing financial assistance to all lessee’s of the municipality. When it comes to water all water that has been restricted (on drip) has been opened and all prepaid and conventional electricity meters that were blocked had their restrictions lifted.
• Oudtshoorn Municipality has undertaken various measures including exempting the billing of interest on all overdue consumers’ accounts for a period of four (4) months from March 2020 – June 2020.
• Theewaterskloof Municipality has also lifted restrictions on water and electricity. All critical services continue and communication in the affected areas is rolled out continuously. The council is working with NGOs in to distribute food parcels where needed.
• Drakenstein Municipality is providing shelter to the homeless in four different shelters across its municipal area. The homeless receive soap, water, blankets and daily meals.
• In Bergrivier Municipality, people who were placed on a controlled water management system, now have full access to water for the duration of the National State of Disaster. Credit control on outstanding accounts are also being relaxed.
• George Municipality will not charge any interest for April 2020 on service accounts. The council has unblocked all electrical meters from 24 March to allow purchase of pre-paid electricity for all consumers. Additional sanitation facilities and waterpoints are being provided in a number of informal settlements. Rosemore Sport Stadium has been set up as a homeless shelter. Loudhailing has been taking place in all areas as of 25 March – with areas being identified on a daily basis that need to be revisited.

“District municipalities in the Western Cape continue to render all essential services, including firefighting, road maintenance and environmental health services. Our disaster management centres are all in 24/7 activation and working hard to tackle the COVID-19 crisis,” says Bredell.

“Further measures continue to be investigated by all councils as the situation unfolds. I want to thank our councils in conjunction with the Western Cape Department of Local Government for doing what they can to assist their communities during this difficult time,” says Bredell.

Bredell has urged all citizens with questions regarding the ongoing lockdown and what it means for them, their families and their lives to visit the website: www.westerncape.gov.za/coronavirus

“In addition, if you have flu-like symptoms, and have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19, please contact the provincial hotline on 021 928 4102 for advice on what to do next.”

ENDS.

Media enquiries:

James-Brent Styan

Spokesperson for the Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell