Media Release: Garden Route Health Platform Update

For Immediate Release
21 August 2020

As of 21 August 2020, the Garden Route District has 8200 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Cases 

Garden Route cases and recoveries per subdistrict.

• Bitou 533 cases; 460 recoveries
• Knysna 1288 cases; 1113 recoveries
• George 3139 cases; 2774 recoveries
• Hessequa 258 cases; 204 recoveries
• Kannaland 99 cases; 70 recoveries
• Mossel Bay 1936 cases; 1608 recoveries
• Oudsthoorn 947 cases; 658 recoveries

The Garden Route has recorded 258 Covid-19 deaths.

Hospitalisation

From our latest available information, there are currently 136 patients admitted in public and private hospitals of which 21 are in High Care/ICU.

 George Hospital happy to discharge more COVID-19 patients

George Hospital has treated 256 COVID-19 patients since the start of the pandemic. Two of these patients are Madelain Ntenetyana and Annestien Botha who both spent a few nights in Ward A1 due to complications of COVID-19.

Thirty-three-year old Madelain Ntenetyana from George started feeling ill at work and thought it was a cold.

She called in sick for work for a few days and her symptoms got worse so she decided to visit her local clinic where she was tested for COVID-19 and sent to hospital. She had difficulty breathing and had no appetite. Madelain says she felt better after three days in hospital and was transferred to PetroSA West Camp for 9 days to complete her isolation period.

“I am grateful for all the staff in the ward and would like to thank them for everything they did for me. I also want to thank especially Nurse Gary Michaels at PetroSA West Camp for his caring attitude while I was there”, she said. Madelain is now fully recovered and would like to call on the public to take COVID seriously as this is an experience she doesn’t want to repeat.

Annestien Botha(33) a nurse from a private hospital in George felt extremely tired and had a temperature. She went to the testing unit at George Hospital where she was tested and admitted to hospital. She was on oxygen for the first night and started feeling better. Being a health professional herself she was impressed with the service received at George Hospital. “ Staff were great, especially the doctors. I could see they have a plan here. I was treated with care and not someone who has an infectious disease where some staff might feel scared to be near you”, she said.

Annestien contracted the virus from her daughter and after being discharged after two days they both isolated together at home.

“It is easy to contract the virus so people should take care of themselves and follow the guidelines such as wearing a mask and social distancing”, she said.

Community Testing and Screening

The approach to active Covid-19 case finding within the rural areas remain that of community testing and screening with a focus on people > 55 years and those with high risk (people with co-morbidities). To date 149 051 people have been screened of whom 1305 have been referred for testing.

 Catching up on the most urgent essential health services without risking patient and staff safety

While the health service platform must remain geared to deal with COVID-19 pandemic (including a possible second wave of infections), the Department of Health wants to scale up essential health services in a balanced manner.   The Department’s risk and impact based approach is guiding the services to be reintroduced identifying those services which have low risk yet high impact (such as immunisation services). These services which had reduced significantly during the COVID pandemic, will have a significant long term impact for those clients who had missed immunisations, follow-up appointments and scheduled non-emergency treatment.    A phased approach will be adopted to return the comprehensive health service platform back to a new normal and will be considered in short, medium and long terms.

PLEASE NOTE THAT CURRENTLY ALL PREVENTATIVE SERVICES ARE OFFERED:

• Women’s health (family planning, antenatal and post-natal care)
• Men’s health
• Child health(immunisations)
• Chronic disease management (TB, HIV, Diabetes, etc.)

Isolation and quarantine

People who cannot isolate or quarantine safely at home (risk to themselves or exposure risk to others), can be referred to an isolation or quarantine facility.

Isolation facilities are for patients who have been infected with the COVID-19 virus (with mild to moderate symptoms) where they can recover. Quarantine facilities are for those have been exposed and are awaiting test results. These facilities are safe, have been made as comfortable as possible and you will receive free transport, meals, and a laundry service. PetroSA (West Camp) is currently the only activated isolation and quarantine facility in the Garden Route. More facilities have been identified and will be activated, if and when the need arises or capacity is exceeded at PetroSA. We currently have 71 people at the West Camp facility.

5 ways to stay safe

We urge all citizens to remain careful in observing these precautions of hygiene and safety.

1. Wear your mask as all times when you leave your home
2. Keep you social distance from other (1.5m)
3. Do not touch your face
4. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or hand sanitizer(70% alcohol base)
5. If sick, stay home

Make sure you wear your mask when going out to protect yourself and others. Also remember that spitting is another means of transporting the virus. Do not spit on the ground. The protection and wellbeing of all our people remains in our collective hands.

-END-

Nadia Ferreira
Principal Communications Officer
Garden Route and Central Karoo Districts
Western Cape Government Health
Town Clinic, Plettenberg Bay
Tel: 076 379 5423
Email: Nadia.Ferreira@westerncape.gov.za 
Website: www.westerncape.gov.za

Feature image: iStock.com/ra2studio

Media Release: Garden Route Health Platform Update

For Immediate Release
14 August 2020

As of 14 August 2020, the Garden Route District has 7520 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Cases 

Garden Route cases and recoveries per subdistrict.

Bitou 502 cases; 417 recoveries
Knysna 1197 cases; 1001 recoveries
George 2979 cases; 2525 recoveries
Hessequa 222 cases; 175 recoveries
Kannaland 75 cases; 55 recoveries
Mossel Bay 1754 cases; 1393 recoveries
Oudsthoorn 791 cases; 465 recoveries

The Garden Route has recorded 223 Covid-19 deaths.

Hospitalisation

From our latest available information, there are currently 170 patients admitted in public and private hospitals of which 41 are in High Care/ICU.

Community Testing and Screening

The approach to active Covid-19 case finding within the rural areas remain that of community testing and screening with a focus on people > 55 years and those with high risk (people with co-morbidities). To date 147 772 people have been screened of whom 1284 have been referred for testing.

Isolation and quarantine

People who cannot isolate or quarantine safely at home (risk to themselves or exposure risk to others), can be referred to an isolation or quarantine facility.

Isolation facilities are for patients who have been infected with the COVID-19 virus (with mild to moderate symptoms) where they can recover. Quarantine facilities are for those have been exposed and are awaiting test results. These facilities are safe, have been made as comfortable as possible and you will receive free transport, meals, and a laundry service. PetroSA (West Camp) is currently the only activated isolation and quarantine facility in the Garden Route. More facilities have been identified and will be activated, if and when the need arises or capacity is exceeded at PetroSA. We currently have 68 people at the West Camp facility.

Primary healthcare                                                                                                                                    

Our Primary Health Care platform is an important vehicle to support our health system, provide health services closer to the communities and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed with services that can be provided outside of acute hospital settings. Although we advise patients to only visit their nearest clinic for essential services at this time; we remind parents and caregivers that services such as immunisations are still rendered. It is important to attend all your confirmed appointments. Services such as women’s health (family planning, antenatal and post-natal care), child health(immunisations) and TB, are still rendered. Stable chronic care patients must collect their chronic medicine at the chronic off-sites. Should you require guidance or advice around your current treatment or scheduled appointment, please contact your clinic/hospital.

Shielding the vulnerable

Persons over the age of 55 or have a chronic condition are at risk for severe COVID-19 illness and should take extra precautions to protect themselves by following these steps:

1. Avoid getting the virus by staying home, wear a mask (when you have to go out), wash hands regularly and disinfect surfaces
2. Look after your health by following a healthy lifestyle and take your medication regularly
3. Get help immediately if you do not feel well
4. If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, go for immediate screening and testing if required, do not delay

The Department has implemented an action plan for Diabetics (regarded as a high risk group) with COVID symptoms which includes expanding testing for diabetics and closer monitoring.

Next 100 days

The Department has identified the next 100 days as crucial to refocusing the health system and health services while still managing the pandemic with continued interventions to increase immunisation coverage, TB treatment and ART for HIV uptake.

5 ways to stay safe

We urge all citizens to remain careful in observing these precautions of hygiene and safety.

1. Wear your mask as all times when you leave your home
2. Keep you social distance from other (1.5m)
3. Do not touch your face
4. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or hand sanitizer
5. If sick, stay home

Make sure you wear your mask when going out to protect yourself and others. Also remember that spitting is another means of transporting the virus. Do not spit on the ground.

The protection and wellbeing of all our people remains in our collective hands.

-END-

Nadia Ferreira
Principal Communications Officer
Garden Route and Central Karoo Districts
Western Cape Government Health
Town Clinic, Plettenberg Bay
Tel: 076 379 5423
Email: Nadia.Ferreira@westerncape.gov.za 
Website: www.westerncape.gov.za

Picture credit: iStock.com/ra2studio

Tourism Relief Fund assists more than 100 businesses in the Garden Route district

For Immediate Release
13 August 2020

The Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane on 4 August 2020 made the names of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) public who benefited through the much-needed Tourism Relief Funding (TRF).

The TRF was established to provide relief to the tourism sector. It provided for a once-off capped grant to SMMEs, which aims to ensure continued operations during the pandemic and also for a while after the pandemic has passed.

Categories that were eligible to apply for the TRF, included the following:

• Accommodation establishments: Hotels; resort properties; bed and breakfast (B&B’s); guest houses; lodges and backpackers.
• Hospitality and related services: Restaurants (not attached to hotels); conference venues (not attached to hotels), professional catering; and attractions
• Travel and related services: Tour operators; travel agents; tourist guiding; car rental companies; and coach operators.

Many of the business will be able to utilise the fund to subsidise expenses towards fixed costs, operational costs, supplies and other pressure cost items. Allocation of funds to ordinary South Africans, was conducted in line with government policies. This ensured that the benefit would be spread geographically across the country to cover even businesses in small villages and townships.

The 4000 beneficiaries per province across the sub-sectors of accommodation, hospitality and travel services, include:

• Eastern Cape – 457
• Free State – 134
• Gauteng – 1017
• KwaZulu-Natal – 607
• Limpopo – 294
• Mpumalanga – 238
• North West – 162
• Northern Cape – 124
• Western Cape – 967

The National Department of Tourism (NDT) remains committed to working with all stakeholders in whatever way possible.  The NDT understands that these are extremely difficult times for the sector and this situation demands everyone works together to revive the economy.

More than 100 businesses in the Garden Route and Klein Karoo region have benefited from the TRF. The list of beneficiaries of this grant, capped at R50, 000 is available online: List of beneficiaries

Here is a copy of the list:

Media Release: Garden Route DM loses its second employee, Lemos Soko, to COVID-19

For Immediate Release
7 August 2020

Mr Lemos Soko (47) passed away on 6 August 2020 after battling with COVID-19 in ICU for two weeks. He is the second Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) employee to sadly pass away due to COVID-19 complications. Lemos worked at the GRDM Roads Department since 16 April 1998.

Employees gathered via Zoom today to recollect the fond memories held of Lemos and the impact he had on the institution throughout his 22-year employ. During the meeting, Alderman Memory Booysen (Executive Mayor for GRDM), Mr Monde Stratu (Municipal Manager), Mr John Daniels (Executive Manager for Roads Services), Mr Japie Strydom (Manager: Construction and Mechanical Services) and Mr Gert Verwey (Deputy Manager: Operations) shared their fond memories of him. “He was a gentle giant and always willing to go the extra mile,” are some of Lemos’ key personality traits that GRDM’s representatives shared.

Lemos spent his first few years at GRDM working as part of the Harold Construction Team. Over the past few years he worked alongside a maintenance team in the Friemersheim area. In describing his skills and work ethic, Mr Daniels said, “he was one of the few employees who could operate every roads machine,” and “he went out of his way to ensure that the team’s daily tasks were completed, even though some of these tasks were not his responsibility”.

Mr Simon Mankonkwana, a colleague and best friend of Lemos, described his passing as a huge loss and a void in his life. Lemos also left behind a wife, four (4) children and five (5) grandchildren.

Alderman Booysen shared his condolences and a message of support to everyone present on behalf of Council by saying: “We tend to run out of words during times like these, especially in light of the fact that we are not only loosing colleagues and friends, but also family members.”

“Although we are a big family at the GRDM, we are going to be broken for a long time,” he said.

Ald. Booysen also encouraged employees to try their best to rise above the fear currently experienced, although it is natural to feel scared of such a dreadful disease and its effects on society.  Mayor Booysen said that the GRDM would walk the walk with Lemos’ family and offer its undivided emotional and spiritual support.