Cape Town – Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said he is aware of fake news messages being shared on social media which claim that Covid-19 numbers are increasing again in the province or at certain Western Cape hospitals.
’’This is fake news and I call on residents not to share it,’’ Winde said in a statement on Friday.
The province continues to record an average test positivity rate below 10 percent, while Covid-19 hospital admissions currently make up just 5% of our total hospital admissions in the province, Winde said. A total of 528 people are in hospital, with 116 of these in ICU or high care.
He added that there are also currently only 23 people admitted at the Brackengate Hospital of Hope.
’While new Covid-19 infections, deaths and hospitalisations continue to decline in the Western Cape, Winde said, ’’this is good news. We must remain vigilant and continue to do everything possible to prevent a rise in Covid-19 infections in the future – as is being witnessed in other places in the world today’’.
’’We must however remain vigilant until such time as a vaccine is found and widely available. This requires us to continue to wear our masks in public, keep a distance of at least 1.5 metres from any other person, and wash or sanitise our hands, and high traffic surfaces regularly.’’
Winde reminded small businesses that submissions for the Western Cape Government's R27 million small business relief fund close on Monday at 10am.
’’I encourage small business owners who have been impacted by Covid-19 and the lockdown to use this opportunity to apply,“ Winde said.
’’The fund, launched by Minister David Maynier and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, provides grant funding to subsidise business related expenses such as fixed costs, operational costs, supplier debt and other pressure cost items.
’’Small businesses in both the formal and informal sector are able to apply.’’
IOL