Covid-19: Another school in Cape Town hit by positive case during prep week 

Parkvale Primary School in Valhalla Park is the second school in Cape Town to have a positive Covid-19 case among educators, the Western Cape education department said on Tuesday.  

The case was recorded in the first week of teachers' return to school to prepare for the phased reopening this Monday for grades 7 and 12.

Spokesperson for Education MEC Debbie Schäfer, Kerry Mauchline, confirmed that the school was closed and would reopen after the department's protocols, such as deep-cleaning, were followed.

Social media posts that Wuhan 'repatriation pilot' died of Covid-19 untrue 

Social media posts claiming that an SAA staffer who passed away on Sunday died of Covid-19 and was a pilot responsible for the repatriation of 112 South Africans from China in March are untrue. 

News24 has spoken to various sources who have indicated that Nakedi Tebatso Ntshane did not die of coronavirus-related causes, nor was she a pilot during the repatriation of the South Africans back home on 14 March.

Ntshane was a cabin crew member and was "training towards becoming a commercial pilot", said the airline. An acquaintance told News24 she went into quarantine after returning from Wuhan and was discharged with all the other people on the flight.

Acting health DG Anban Pillay acted 'unconstitutionally' in Glenda Gray fight – top academics 

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize should distance himself from the actions of his acting director-general Anban Pillay, who requested the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) to investigate its president Dr Glenda Gray, according to three top academics. 

The article, published by the South African Medical Journal on Tuesday, called for level heads from the scientific community and government in an article titled "Freedom of speech and public interest, not allegiance, should underpin science advisement to government".

Mkhize: "There's no need for any peer review, we will accept the statement by WHO. And there is no benefit to anybody's health that comes from smoking. That's it."

Mkhize says the real issue arose when the definitions of "essential services" were discussed. "Then again, you can never say tobacco is an essential service."

"There is no health benefit from smoking," Mkhize says emphatically. "The matter is in court and so we leave it at that."

Mkhize responds on the issues around smoking.

Mkhize: "The dangers of tobacco are well established. In courts, in South Africa, in the United States, in different parts of the world. And so I don't think people must come and argue here that there is any benefit you can get from smoking - there is none. So let's not argue that way."

Mkhize: "If people want to sell cigarettes, if people want to smoke, then let's deal with it on that basis, but let's not deal with it because we think there is something wrong if we say that tobacco is not good for anybody's health - it isn't."

Mkhize says if people want to debate the issue from the point of view of saying that they've got businesses and so on, that's a different matter.

On the question of people going hungry, Mkhize says it was something that was tabled at the first meeting when they were discussing prioritising lives and implementing the lockdown.

Mkhize: "...the president had then gone out to announce the package of social relief to help with additional support in terms of social grants, as well as the assistance to those who are unemployed, opening up UIF for those who were working, but were not able to continue with work, support for small businesses, and huge businesses..."

Mkhize says the response to the issues that were raised was basically a "balancing act".

Mkhize now responds to the round of questions posed to him by NCOP members.

Glenda Gray 'grateful for support' as SAMRC calls off investigation into her lockdown criticism 

South African Medical Research Council president and member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) Professor Glenda Gray has expressed her gratitude after the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) on Tuesday cleared her for recent comments about government's Covid-19 lockdown regulations.

"I wish to thank the Board of the SAMRC for having acted with the requisite urgency in its deliberations over this matter, the findings of which I have noted with appreciation. I would like to assure the Board and colleagues at the SAMRC that I remain focused on the important work of the SAMRC," Gray said in a statement following the SAMRC's announcement.

"I also re-affirm my commitment to doing all I can to the best of my ability to contribute to the national effort against Covid-19 and remain at the disposal of the Minister of Health and the Ministerial Advisory Committee in this regard. 

Coronavirus: International news

Covid-19 wrap | UK minister quits over Cummings lockdown trip, worldwide cases top 5.5 million 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government suffered its first resignation over the controversy surrounding senior aide Dominic Cummings' trip across country during coronavirus lockdown when Douglas Ross, a minister for Scotland, quit in protest on Tuesday.

"The reaction to this news shows that Mr Cummings' interpretation of the government advice was not shared by the vast majority of people who have done as the government asked," Ross said in a Twitter statement announcing his departure from government.

Dlamini-Zuma shoots down the rumours about her association with Adriano Mazzotti.

Dlamini-Zuma: "I must also put it on record, I'm not Mazzotti's friend. And secondly, if anyone is doing crime in South Africa, they must be arrested. Whatever crime, whether they are crime on cigarettes, or crime on what, those people who are doing crime must be arrested."

Dlamini-Zuma then proceeds to outline the proven medical reasons against tobacco/smoking, but won't go into too much further detail because the matter is before the courts.

Presentations are complete. NCOP members are now given the opportunity to pose questions to the ministers.

Mkhize says the "toolbox" will remain in place - PPEs, hand sanitisers, cloth masks, social distancing, elderly being protected, no public meetings.

Mkhize: "We are entering a new territory, there's lots of lessons for us, but co-operation amongst us is going to be the way to deal with this and the unity of South Africans is going to be important."

Mkhize finishes off by saying that respecting the guidelines and the protocols, "that's what's going to make a difference between infecting, spreading the infection, and also cutting down the infections."

Mkhize says there will be further considerations for hotspot areas, in addition to the lockdown level interventions already in place. So it could be a Level 3 PLUS "further considerations" situation, Mkhize explains. Things that are allowed in non-hotspot provinces may not be allowed in hotspots.

Mkhize explains how government will handle containment of infections in areas designated as hotspots, such as the Western Cape. Mentions the way Wuhan implemented their 50-day lockdown as an example. Mkhize says there's a high number of "cluster infections" in the Western Cape, such as in shops, etc.

Mkhize explains how approaches will differentiate when dealing with identified infection "hotspots".

Mkhize says the WHO has advised that government should wait for a decrease in cases before easing out of lockdown, but Mkhize cites the economic downturn, poverty and hunger as some of the reasons that need to be mitigated.

Mkhize outlines the quarantine sites that have been activated in each province.

Mkhize tells the NCOP members that the last two weeks are responsible for 45% of positive Covid-19 infections in the country.

Mkhize details the number of tests that have already been conducted, but says they are now running into issues with a shortage of testing kits, due to worldwide demand. 

Mkhize expresses concern over the testing constraints. "It's not so much our capacity, more than it is about whether the global suppliers are able to respond to our requests and this is because everyone else in the world is actually looking for exactly the same thing."

Mkhize now moves on with his presentation.

Mkhize again mentions the number of people hospitalised and those in ICU, and moves on to the reason behind the lockdown - flattening the curve.

"Flattening the curve is an everyday event, it's not a once-off," says Mkhize.

Some members want to pose questions to Dlamini-Zuma, but the meeting chair re-emphasises that questions will only be allowed once all the presentations have been completed. 

Dlamini-Zuma has just finished her presentation, but Mkhize is expected to conduct his presentation next. 

The worry among some members is that Dlamini-Zuma won't be around to answer questions after the presentations, as she has another engagement at 12:00.

Dlamini-Zuma explains the reasoning behind restricting inter-provincial travel, in efforts to stem the spread of the virus. 

More technical difficulties. The connection seems to have been lost.

Dlamini-Zuma is currently outlining how Cogta has been functioning across the country.

Minister of Co-operative Governance Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize are briefing the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Covid-19 efforts.

They are currently trying to resolve some technical difficulties.

OPINION | Why releasing low-risk prisoners amid the Covid-19 pandemic is a good idea 

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola made the long-overdue announcement earlier this month that 19 000 low-risk inmates would be released from prison. 

It is a bold and necessary step to save lives as Covid-19 threatens to wreak havoc in South Africa's overcrowded prisons, GroundUp reported.

Under the plan, people who have been sentenced for "crimes of need" would be eligible for early parole, with priority given to those with underlying health problems, the elderly (60 years and above) and women with infants.

Prisoners who meet the criteria for release will not be automatically granted parole; rather, parole boards will make decisions on a case-by-case basis.

Media statement from the SAMRC board

The board of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) met to discuss the current challenges relating to the media statements made by the SAMRC president, Professor Glenda Gray, in her private capacity. The SAMRC board received communication from the Department of Health regarding the SAMRC president's comments.

The board has discussed this matter with Professor Gray and looked into our relevant SAMRC policies. We did not find transgression of these policies by Professor Gray. The board has decided that it will not be instituting any further investigation on this matter.

The board encourages Professor Gray, the Minister of Health and the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) to resolve the issue of statements made in media amicably, in the best interests of all parties and the nation.  

Coronavirus: International news

Covid-19 wrap | Brazil stands by hydroxychloroquine despite WHO, US death toll rises by 532 

Brazil's health ministry said on Monday it would not change its recommendation to treat coronavirus with hydroxychloroquine, despite the World Health Organisation deciding to suspend trials of the drug over safety concerns.

Like his US counterpart Donald Trump, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has touted the supposed benefits of hydroxychloroquine and a related drug, chloroquine, against the new coronavirus.

Studies, however, have questioned their safety and efficacy against the disease, including one published on Friday in respected medical journal The Lancet that found the drugs actually increased the risk of death.

Winde explains the hi-tech capabilities of the field hospital and how it will assist in the treatment of patients.