COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES | Second Western Cape woman who died from Covid-19 identified

27 March 2020 15:11

Second woman who died as a result of Covid-19 in Western Cape identified 

The identity of the second Western Cape woman who died as a result of Covid-19 has been revealed.

According to eNuus 28-year old Sherilee Jansen is the name of the deceased's name.

Jansen was a nurse at Melomed in Mitchells Plain. Her test results are still outstanding but she has been "clinically diagnosed".

27 March 2020 15:09

Three buses filled with SANDF members in Alexandra's Pan African mall

Three buses filled with SANDF members have stopped outside the Pan African Mall in Alexandra.

When the buses first arrived, they drew the attention of many of the locals, many of whom were continuing about their daily business and walking around. Some of the those who were not intimidated by the soldiers who had come off the buses approached them to request sanitiser and masks.

The soldiers gladly squirted sanitiser on their hands and even handed a mask and gloves to a young man pushing a trolley filled with vegetables. It was not immediately clear what the soldiers were doing at the mall.

27 March 2020 14:42

Fourty-Seven German tourists in quarantine in Gauteng after one tested positive

Gauteng’s department of health has confirmed that 47 German tourists are under quarantine after one tested positive for Covid-19.

“One member of the group who tested positive for Covid-19 is at a health facility in Gauteng," health department spokesperson Kwara Kekana said on Friday. “The group had planned to leave the country yesterday [Thursday]. Port health services were alerted and responded to the situation, leading to the group being grounded.”

She said the group was in quarantine at a private facility in Gauteng.

“Due to the limited quarantine space, separate arrangements were made to have the other 15 members of the group accommodated at one of the Gauteng’s health facilities."

27 March 2020 2:45

'Doing it for my country' – garbage collector, nurse and petrol attendant on working through lockdown

As  millions of South Africans stayed home on Friday, the first day of a 21-day nationwide lockdown, essential services workers had to wake up as early as 4am to report for duty. 

These include health workers, cashiers, petrol attendants and garbage collectors.

Thokozani Mjoli, a garbage collector, said he was thrilled to be considered an essential services worker who “served the country, no matter what”. 

“It feels good to do something good for the country, especially now, because there is a big crisis. We can’t say no, the country needs us ,no matter what,” he said.   

Mjoli said if he and his colleagues downed their tools, the country would not be able to operate.

“It shows we are important, if we stopped working the country would stink.”

27 March 2020 14:00

Cape Town police arrest a man for non-compliance during Covid-19 lockdown

A man has been arrested in Cape Town CBD for not complying with government's lockdown regulations.

27 March 2020 14:35

Cape Town metro police remind Langa residents to comply with lockdown regulations

City of Cape Town Metro Police have taken time out to remind Langa township residents to keep a safe distance between each other and social distance. 

27 March 2020 14:19

The lighter side of the 21-day lockdown

A jubilant man dances on the roof of a house in Langa, Cape Town on day one of the 21-day lockdown while metro police patrols the area.

27 March 2020 13:30

UK's Boris Johnson tests positive for Covid-19

UK prime minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus and is experiencing mild symptoms.

"Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus. Together we will beat this."

UCT confirms fifth case of Covid-19, a student

27 March 2020 12:55

The University of Cape Town has confirmed its fifth case of Covid-19.

In a statement UCT vice-chancellor professor Mamokgethi Phakeng confirmed the latest case. 

 "I write to you to inform you that we have confirmed a fifth case of Covid-19 at the University of Cape Town. It is a student."

27 March 2020 12:40

Gauteng taxi drivers not willing to comply with lockdown restrictions

As the country entered the first day of the 21-day nation-wide lockdown on Friday, some taxi drivers went about their business as per normal, some even overloading passengers in Johannesburg.

This was particularly prevalent in Bara taxi rank in the morning – taxis hooted and formed long ques to load essential workers to various destinations.

A taxi driver operating between Pimville and Joburg CBD said he if he could not take full passangers, he would rather stay home.

“They are crazy, if they were serious about shutting down the country, they would have provided means of transport for the people who must go to work. I can’t have 7 people in a taxi, that is running a loss…if they insist, we will stop and also go home,” he told TimesLIVE.

27 March 2020 12:25

Drive-through Covid-19 testing station at Wanderers stadium

At the cost of R1,190 residents in the City of Joburg are getting tested for Covid-19 by means of a drive-through testing station at Wanderers stadium.

27 March 2020 12:15

Durban communters stranded

Hundreds of commuters have been left stranded in Durban following a last minute decision by the eThekwini Metro Taxi Council (Emtc) to suspend all operations within the city.

This after the council said it had learned of a new instruction on Friday morning that no more than seven people would be allowed per load - making it not economically feasible for them to operate.

27 March 2020 11:52

Cape Town in lockdown? Not so much

Cape Town was supposed to be on lockdown on Friday but with droves of homeless people, beggars, hustlers, refugees, and ordinary residents on shopping runs it felt more like a Sunday after Christmas, reports TimesLIVE journalist Aron Hyman.

27 March 2020 11:50 

Some taxi ranks quiet, others not

Taxi ranks in Cape Town and Durban are quiet as commuters opt to stay home on the first day of the national lockdown. 

27 March 2020 11:45

Homeless people seek shelter in Durban

Sipho Khuzwayo has roamed free on Durban's streets for 11 years but on Friday, fear of the Covid-19 drove him to join a line with hundreds of Durban's homeless who sought shelter during the lockdown.

"I don't know much about the virus but I know that I am afraid and that is why I am here," Khuzwayo told TimesLIVE reporter Lwandile Bhengu.

27 March 2020 11:35

Family does not know how woman who died got the virus - report

Rapport newspaper has identified the 48-year-old woman who died of Covid-19 in MediClinic Durbanville on Friday morning as Madeleine van Wyk. Her husband told Netwerk24 the family did not know where she had contracted the virus. He said she started feeling sick about a week ago.

27 March 2020 11:30

Eskom offers 416 beds at Eskom Academy in fight against Covid-19

Eskom has offered the department of health 416 beds in order to accommodate Covid-19 patients.

As government tries to contain the spread of the virus and identify treatment sigts. the cases of the coronavirus in SA are climbing at an alarming rate.

27 March 2020 10:30

Lockdown sees PE streets sparse

From the suburbs to the sea, the streets of Port Elizabeth resembled a ghost town on the first day of the national 21-day lockdown.

Cape Road, which is usually bustling, only saw 11 pedestrian casually ambling through the street at about 7am  while vehicles were nonexistent.

In what began to feel like a horror movie, the promenade which normally has people jogging by the beach flooding the walkways, did not have a single person.

However the CBD, while not nearly as busy as usual, did have the occasional taxi operating.

27 March 2020 09:05

South Africa has recorded its first two cases of Covid-19 deaths.

In a statement minister of health Zweli Mkhize said the deaths were recorded in the Western Cape.

"This morning, we wake South Africans up with sad news that we now have our first deaths resulting from COVID-19. These two deaths occurred in the Western Cape. One at a private hospital and the other at a public hospital."

The department said it would brief the media later on on Friday as the number of Covid-19 cases have risen after SA tipped the 1000 mark.

27 March 2020 - 08:25

'Gauteng, especially Sandton is the epicentre of the virus' Aaron Motsoaledi

Home affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi says most infections of the coronavirus have been recorded in Sandton.

"The epicentre is now Gauteng, especially the Johannesburg area, especially Sandton... That's where the elite stay, they go all over Europe, they went to Italy and England, now they are in contact with people who are doing shopping there and their workers."

27 March 2020 - 09:21

Bored during lockdown? Mzansi has you covered with #Twitter30seconds

It's only day one of a 21-day lockdown in SA and many are already complaining about being bored.

Before you eat your feeling and watch another Netflix show that really isn't worth your time, try your hand at #Twitter30Seconds.

For a minute, you might think it's just another fad, but there are actually some goodies in there. Yes, we spent a while figuring out the answers.

And really, try not to cheat and don't scroll down on the mentions. 

27 March 2020 - 06:49

Coronavirus: ceasefires and resolutions in project at UN

The United Nations on Thursday hailed armed groups heeding its call for a ceasefire during the coronavirus crisis, as Security Council and General Assembly members prepared draft resolutions in support of the measure.

Armed groups in Cameroon, the Philippines, Yemen and Syria have moved in recent days to reduce violence as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday issued an appeal for ceasefire.

The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffith, said he was “heartened” to see positive responses from both the government and Huthi rebels.

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27 March 2020 - 07:11

Arrests minutes into lockdown as rules are flouted in Joburg

It was not a seamless entry into the official 21-day lockdown sparked by the coronavirus  in Johannesburg as scores of chancers came face-to face with the law after midnight on Friday.

Police officers and metro cops began patrolling the streets of Johannesburg and had already made arrests after some people chose to ignore the lockdown rules.

Among the rules were calls for people to be confined in their homes, for pubs to be closed and for no person in public to be found in possession of alcohol.

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