Update on the coronavirus by Premier Alan Winde

25 August 2020

As of 1pm on 25 August, the Western Cape has 5017 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 102 698 confirmed cases and 93 920  recoveries.

Cape Metro Sub-districts:

Sub-districts:

Unallocated: 2166 (2081 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 18 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3761. We send our condolences to their family and friends at this time.

Hospitalisations drop below 1000:

Today, I am pleased to announce that hospitalisations have dropped below 1000 for the first time since the beginning of June. At the same time, our ICU numbers have also dropped below 200 and the province has recorded fewer than 20 deaths per day on a number of days over the past week. These are really positive signs that we have weathered the worst of the COVID-19 storm in the province. This is due to the combined efforts of all of our healthcare workers who have been heroes on the frontlines and continue to work hard in service of the people of the Western Cape, and all of those residents who have taken responsibility, and who have helped to flatten the curve by wearing masks, washing their hands, and practicing social distancing.

With our concerted and continued efforts towards behaviour change, the Western Cape can keep on that trajectory of lower infections and hospitalisations in order to save lives. The lower number of COVID-19 hospitalisations also allows us to ramp up other healthcare services which were impacted during the peak of the pandemic.

Fake news:

Earlier today, fake news started to circulate that the sale of alcohol will be banned again which in turn has resulted in queues and crowds forming outside of liquor outlets and people resorting to bulk buying. 

I have not been informed of any decision by the national government to ban alcohol sales again and no meetings with the provincial leadership have been scheduled to discuss this matter either. I call on residents not to spread fake news from unknown and unverified sources. 

At the same time, I must also call on residents to act responsibly- both in how they purchase their alcohol and how they consume it.

I call on residents to drink responsibly. The Western Cape Government lobbied hard for the re-opening of alcohol sales because we believe that it is important to save the thousands of jobs created in our agri-processing, and hospitality industries and in all of their supply chains. We are committed to smart interventions but these must go hand in hand with individual responsibility in order to reduce the harmful impacts of alcohol on our society.

Issued by Western Cape Office of the Premier, 25 August 2020