4048 active Covid-19 cases in WCape – Alan Winde

Premier says there have been 97 057 recoveries

Media Release: Update on the coronavirus by Premier Alan Winde

30 August 2020

As of 1pm on 30 August, the Western Cape has 4048 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 104 973 confirmed cases and 97 057 recoveries.

Cape Metro Sub-districts:

Sub-districts:

Unallocated: 2293 (2228 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 7 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3868. We send our condolences to their family and friends at this time.

September is Tourism Month:

In the coming week, we will celebrate the start of Tourism Month in South Africa. Tourism is a key job creating sector in the Western Cape, responsible for thousands of jobs, and the impact of the lockdown regulations on this sector and the people it employs, has been severe.

In order to promote domestic tourism in the Western Cape, the Western Cape Government and Wesgro will be launching the "We are Open" campaign tomorrow. This campaign highlights the best that the Western Cape has to offer, and showcases how the province can easily match experiences on offer elsewhere in the world.

On Tuesday, we will also see the iconic Table Mountain Cableway re-open for visitors, and the Two Oceans Aquarium will also open its doors. Last week, we also saw a number of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sports' affiliated museums receiving the go ahead to re-open their doors, among them the Togryers Museum in Ceres, the Caledon Museum, the Huguenot Memorial in Franschhoek, the Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum, the Shipwreck Museum in Bredasdorp and the Stellenbosch Museum. A number of others are also awaiting the go ahead to re-open.

These are all signs that the Western Cape is open for local travel and we look forward to welcoming visitors from across South Africa to our province. Thousands of jobs have been lost in the tourism sector and your support can help to save jobs now. If you can afford to, we call on you to visit a local tourism attraction in your city, book a tour to experience a neighbourhood you've never visited or enjoy a weekend away in our province. You can also help to promote a local business by taking a photo at your favorite attraction, restaurant, or tourism establishment and share it on social media with the hashtag WeAreOpen.

I also call on businesses and for travelers to ensure that they are taking every precaution so that this important sector can open safely. Businesses must put in place measures to protect their staff and their customers, and travelers must ensure that no matter where they are, they are adhering to the golden rules, wearing their masks, social distancing and regularly washing their hands.  

UPDATE: 28 August 2020

As of 1pm on 28 August, the Western Cape has 4382 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 104 711 confirmed cases and 96 479 recoveries.

Cape Metro Sub-districts:

Sub-districts:

Unallocated: 2325 (2220 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(link is external)

The Western Cape has recorded an additional 9 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3850. We send our condolences to their family and friends at this time.

Business safety:

Over the past week, we have seen a number of businesses and sectors reopen for trade following a long lockdown period. It is important that businesses be allowed to reopen so that we can start the process of economic recovery so that we can save jobs and avoid the second, unemployment pandemic.

This must however be done safely. COVID-19 has not disappeared from the Western Cape and we still need to practice extreme care and caution to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Earlier on in the pandemic, the Western Cape Department of Health, together with the Department of Economic Opportunities drew up a series of safety guidelines for a number of sectors. These guidelines provide detailed information on how to minimise the risk of infection. I encourage businesses, even those who have been allowed to operate for a while to read these guidelines to see if there may be additional safety measures they can put in place. The guidelines are available here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/files/atoms/files/Preventing%20and%20managing%20coronavirus%20infection%20in%20the%20workplace%20-%206%20May%202020.pdf

Members of the public who believe that a business is not compliant with the safety standards, can report them by filling out this form: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-business-safety-complaint-form

It is also vital that wherever we are, we continue to abide by the golden rules of hygiene. This includes regular and thorough hand-washing with either soap and water, or with an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Always wear a mask when you leave home, and ensure that you keep a distance of 1.5m between yourself and any other person. Always sneeze or cough into your elbow or into a tissue which you can discard. 

It is also important that if you do not feel well, and if you are displaying symptoms, to stay home and to isolate yourself. If you fall into one of the high risk groups, it is important to get tested early if you are displaying symptoms. 

The people of this province have done a phenomenal job in flattening the curve and I thank each and every one of you for taking this seriously. It is important that we do not fall back into old habits because we think that COVID-19 is no longer a risk and must continue to do everything we can to reduce the number of infections in our communities.

Issued by Western Cape Office of the Premier, 30 August 2020