Update on the coronavirus by Premier Alan Winde

26 May 2020

As of 1pm on 26 May, the Western Cape has 7555 active cases of Covid-19, with a total of 15 756 confirmed cases and 7844 recoveries. 

Sub Districts Cape Town Metro:

Sub Districts Non-Metro:

Unallocated: 778 (134 recovered)

Data notes:

Cases previously allocated to Mossel Bay, Oudtshoorn, Langeberg and Cederberg have been re-allocated due to address data being updated.

A third case has been allocated to Beaufort West which is reflected on the online dashboard today but is not reflected in this media release. A Beaufort West address was supplied, however, the contact tracing team has determined that the patient is in the Northern sub-district. The dashboard will update to reflect the change tomorrow. Beaufort West therefore currently has two confirmed cases and the northern sub-district has 969.

The Western Cape has recorded an additional 39 COVID-19 deaths-bringing the total number of deaths from the virus in the province to 357. We extend our condolences to their family and friends at this time.

Alert level 3:

Earlier today, National Health Minister Zweli Mkhize briefed the National Council of Provinces on the COVID-19 response. In his presentation, he indicated that some hotspots could remain on Alert Level 4 when the rest of the country moves to Alert Level 3 on 1 June.

I will seek clarity from the President on this matter as he was very clear in his address on Sunday that the whole country would move to level 3, with the hotspots being re-evaluated every two weeks.

The province has not received any direct indication from national government that this was not the case.

In any province, it would be very difficult to enforce some areas remaining on level 4, while others drop down to level 3. In the Western Cape for instance, neighbouring towns could find themselves in different alert levels, complicating matters for people commuting for work. It could also result in people breaking the rules to go to areas where the alert level is lower. It would require significant policing resources to enforce, and this should rather be used on ensuring physical distancing and implementing the response strategy in specific hotspots.

For the Western Cape, remaining on alert level four in the Cape Town Metro and other identified districts such as the Cape Winelands, West Coast District and Overberg District, will further exacerbate the economic and humanitarian disaster that has resulted from the lockdown. Already, we anticipate the province will see over 200 000 job losses as a result of the lockdown, and any further delays in easing the levels will result in more people losing their jobs and an even greater need for humanitarian relief. This should be taken seriously because it will cost lives in the future too.

That is why we support the President’s decision on Sunday that the entire country move to level 3, in conjunction with the targeted hotspot strategy. This is what we presented to both the President and Minister Mkhize, and we look forward to working with all levels of government in implementing it.

Chronic medication supply:

The Western Cape Department of Health, has since the lockdown was first instituted, been delivering medication to vulnerable, chronic patients at their homes. So far, over 132 000 chronic medicine parcels have been delivered by community health workers across the province, in a partnership with Uber.

This was part of our strategy to ensure that people, especially those with underlying illnesses, are able to stay at home, while at the same time, reducing the number of people visiting our healthcare facilities to allow for social distancing.

A further 278 282 patient medicine parcels were also issued by the Chronic Dispensary Unit, which are pre-packed, and delivered to facilities and alternate collection sites for collection on a scheduled date.

Our focus in the healthcare space is on protecting the vulnerable such as the elderly and those with underlying conditions. By ensuring that a large number of these people do not need to go out to collect medication at a healthcare facility on a monthly basis, we are able to reduce their risk of becoming infected. 

Issued by the Office of the Western Cape Premier, 26 May 2020