Cape Town - Premier Alan Winde on Thursday cancelled his regular Thursday digital news conference on advice of his doctor after developing a “slight fever as a result of Covid-19".
Winde said: “As I have type 2 diabetes, I am monitoring myself closely. My blood glucose levels were also higher than usual this morning, determining the decision to take due precautions and rest.”
The topic for the cancelled digital news conference was to have been an update on the province’s response over the first 100 days of the lockdown.
Winde was to have been joined by Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo and Keith Cloete, head of provincial health.
Winde, who had also been excited to speak about the province’s diabetes risk response during the conference, previously said: “I will also use the opportunity to share medical expertise on diabetes as a high-risk category during Covid-19. As I am diabetic, this is something very close to my heart.”
At last week's news conference, Cloete said the province had launched an action plan targeted at diabetics, particularly those who test positive for Covid-19.
Cloete said the plan involved daily calls to monitor those who had been infected but were not admitted to hospital.
Winde also opted to skip yesterday’s scheduled President’s Co-ordinating Council meeting, choosing to be represented by DG Harry Malila and “other members of the Western Cape government".
Before he took medical advice to rest, Winde had said in a social media post: “I also look forward to meeting with President (Cyril) Ramaphosa online during the scheduled President’s Co-ordinating Council meeting on Thursday afternoon, and will be chairing our second Cabinet meeting of the week on Friday morning, which takes place on MS Teams.”
The Good Party's Brett Herron said: “I am sorry to hear that the premier has tested positive for Covid-19. I regret that he has fallen ill and wish him well as he rests up and recovers.
“I welcome that the premier has traced his contacts. It is important that we all strictly adhere to the health protocols. I encourage all traced contacts to isolate so that they can prevent any further spread of the disease, and to make use of government-provided facilities if they are unable to isolate effectively in their own homes,” Herron added.
In May, Gladys Bakubaku-Vos, the ANC’s provincial spokesperson on social development, was hospitalised with the virus.
Upon leaving hospital Bakubaku-Vos urged South Africans not to stigmatise those who contract Covid-19.
Langeberg Municipal Mayor Hendrik Jansen died in hospital on Tuesday while being treated for Covid-19-related pneumonia.