Editor

Nompumelelo Ncube is one of our healthcare heroes working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight. 

Ncube works as a communicable disease control and outbreak response co-ordinator for the Tshwane health district with the Gauteng Department of Health. This means that she is at the very heart of the country’s efforts to control the epidemic. 

Government’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) interventions, especially the national lockdown, have been successful in slowing down the disease’s spread.

This is according to South African epidemiologist and infectious diseases specialist Professor Salim Abdool Karim, who is also the chairman of the Ministerial Advisory Group on COVID-19.

At a briefing held with Health Minister Zweli Mkhize recently, Professor Karim presented an overview of the epidemic, its early trajectory and the country’s eight-stage plan for tackling the virus.

Empowering yourself with accurate information on the coronavirus (COVID-19) is very important to your health and wellbeing.

To make this possible, a web-enabled App called CoronaFighter has been created and developed by Dr Jarrad van Zuydam and Dr Rick Diesel from InsightFit, and teams at Sigma Digital and Lead Robot, to provide citizens with accurate information about the virus.

The arts and sports sectors will not be spared from the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) 21-day lockdown, says Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa. 

“… Sporting and creative sectors are going to be the hardest hit by these critically important measures,” the minister said. 

As a result of people being confined to their homes – except for essential reasons – events have either been postponed or cancelled.

Government has offered a lifeline to the South African tourism sector in the face of the crippling coronavirus crisis.

South Africa’s tourism sector has been grounded by the coronavirus, which has resulted in trips being cancelled or postponed. 

All tourism attractions, places that offer holiday accommodation and restaurants have closed as part of the nationwide 21-day lockdown, which exempts only essential services businesses. 

Community-based care centres are bringing essential social and health services to rural villages.

Poor families in a KwaZulu-Natal village will benefit from better nutrition, thanks to a donation by German state-owned KfW Development Bank, which was facilitated by the Department of Social Development (DSD).

Despite its rural location, a Limpopo primary school is unlocking the power of technology.

Pupils of a rural primary school have improved their academic results and are ahead of their peers in information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge. 

The Ntji Mothapo Primary School in Ga-Mothapo village outside of Polokwane, Limpopo, is equipped with ICT learning tools such as projectors and white boards for projecting videos and images; interactive learning boards and has internet access.

The 21-day national lockdown has had a huge impact on businesses and employees.

In response, government has announced a number of measures to protect all workers from the impacts of the lockdown. These include employees who work in non-essential services and who are required to stay at home for the full 21 days.

What are essential services?

A heartfelt “thank you” was the central message delivered by President Cyril Ramaphosa to stakeholders involved in the repatriation of 112 citizens from Wuhan City, China.