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www.thevillagenews.co.za
8 April 2020
Happy Easter! Can you find the other 7 bunnies hidden in the newspaper?
More clarity needed From P1
With 50% of the world’s population in some form of lockdown, people all around the globe are turning to The Village NEWS (TVN) online for factual and comprehensive stories about the Overstrand and the Overberg. Read some of the over 3 000 articles on The Village NEWS website. Check out our Facebook groups and pages. Love Instagram? Follow @thevillagenews. Or join the My Village app (download on Google Play or App Store). Just have a look at some of the figures from our website (www.thevillagenews.co.za) for March 2020: • 20 904 unique users in March 2020 (+ 24% versus Feb 2020 and +148% versus Mar 2019) • 60% live in the Western Cape • 25% of Western Cape online users live in The Village NEWS newspaper distribution area (+250% versus February 2020 and +150% versus March 2019).
With 5 162 reads of The Village NEWS on this global publication platform in March 2020, a 20% increase from February 2020 and a 50% increase from March 2019, more and more readers are choosing to download the newspaper in a PDF format. Not only is it convenient to read TVN on ISSUU, but you can also directly click on any advertisement to instantly access further information on the company’s website or Facebook page.
President Ramaphosa has commended national, provincial and local government for the concerted measures to provide relief to the most vulnerable communities, informal sector workers and indigent households during this period. While appreciating the hardship and inconvenience the national lockdown has caused, the President has reasserted that, across the world, it has been countries that have imposed restrictions on movement and gatherings that have managed to flatten the curve. The President has urged government and society at large to build on the tremendous impetus provided by the need to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic and to rethink how governments, businesses and communities function and relate to one another. “The Coronavirus changes everything,” President Ramaphosa said. While the country awaits more clarity from the National Command Council, which coordinates the country’s response to the outbreak, the following measures as set to stay in place: Essential services and the sale of essential goods There has been some confusion about what stores are able to remain open to provide essential goods. The following list has been compiled in alignment with SAPS Western Cape: • Grocery stores, including large retail chains as well as smaller corner grocery stores, fruit and veg shops, butchers and convenience stores at filling stations remain open. • Pet and veterinary stores are permitted to stay open. They may only sell animal food and animal medicines. • Health shops that sell food, hygiene products and/or cleaning products are permitted to stay open, but may only sell essential goods. • Cellphone shops are NOT allowed to be open. They would only be allowed to sell airtime, and this can be bought at any grocery
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store, spaza shop or online. Money-lending businesses are not permitted to be open. Cigarettes may still be sold during the lockdown, but only together with essential goods (at the time of going to press). Businesses can deliver essential goods to people’s homes, but they can't deliver hot meals or any non-essential goods.
NatJOINTS spokesperson, Brig Vish Naidoo, said SAPS will continue to act on all complaints received as no one has special permission to act in a manner that is contrary to the regulations governing the lockdown period. Anyone who may have complaints or information relating to non-adherence to the Disaster Management Regulations can get in touch with law enforcement officials by contacting the SAPS Crime Stop number 086 00 10111 or submitting tip-offs anonymously on the MySAPSApp which is available for download on Android and iPhones. CIPC certificates It is important to inform businesses in the Western Cape that if they provide an essential service it is NOT a legal requirement to obtain a Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) certificate in order to operate. The CIPC certificate, which can be obtained from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition on the bizportal.gov.za website, is not compulsory and is not a requirement of the lockdown regulations. If your business continues to operate during the lockdown and is not providing an essential service, you are committing a criminal offence, unless staff can work from home during the lockdown. Law enforcement will close your business and may even arrest you, regardless of whether you have the CIPC certificate or not. UIF fast-tracked The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has
taken steps to fast-track the processing of existing benefits to workers. They have also announced possible financial assistance to employer(s) that have had to enforce lockdown. As such, the UIF will help affected workers through existing benefits including illness, reduced work time, unemployment and Coronavirus Temporary Employer / Employee Relief Scheme (COVID19TERS) benefits. The Department of Employment and Labour has provided an easy step-by-step guide for employers wishing to make use of this opportunity. For more information, email: covid19ters@labour.gov.za No licence worries Don’t worry if your car or driver’s licence is due to expire during lockdown. All licences, including drivers’ and learners’ licences, car licence disks, roadworthy certificates, temporary permits and professional driving permits will be extended until after the lockdown period. You’ll have a 30-day grace period after lockdown to renew expired licences. Permits for staff to travel to work If a business provides essential services, it must provide staff with a permit, in writing, on the prescribed form, which gives them permission to leave their home and travel to work. Staff must carry this permit with them whenever they travel, together with a recent ID, so that they can show enforcement officers who may stop them while they are travelling. More details on lockdown regulations, the financial relief currently available to businesses, and the answers to many other Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for businesses can be found on: • www.supportbusiness.co.za • www.westerncape.gov.za/coronavirus Any businesses needing assistance can email their questions to supportbusiness@ wesgro.co.za.
Should you get tested for COVID-19? There are criteria as to who should, and who should not be tested. That is because, in a global pandemic such as this, key diagnostic tools such as the Covid-19 test kits are in very limited supply.
Compared to February 2020, The Village NEWS Facebook groups and pages doubled their growth in March 2020, despite the fact that 50% of The Village NEWS’ core readership already belongs to a TVN group. In March 2020, posts on TVN groups and pages reached over 300 000 people.
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For this reason, an assessment preceding testing is important as it will ensure that patients receive the most appropriate treatment and that those in the greatest need are prioritised. It will also reduce the pressure on our hospitals and pathology labs. If you are experiencing symptoms and have reason to suspect that you may have been in contact with someone who is infected, there are four courses of action you could take: • Contact your GP and complete a telephonic assessment. • Contact the COVID-19 risk-assessment team at Mediclinic Hermanus on 028 313 0168 / 082 785 5917 / 083 377 7843. You can also call the Mediclinic COVID-19 Hotline num-
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ber on 0860 24 00 24. Contact your local hospital or clinic: Hermanus Provincial Hospital 028 312 1166 / 028 313 5200; CDC Clinic, Zwelihle 028 313 5700; Hawston Clinic 028 315 2063; Kleinmond Clinic 028 271 5807; Stanford Clinic 028 341 0945; Gansbaai Kliniek 028 384 1917. Complete an online assessment. Mediclinic has an online personal risk assessment tool at https://www.mediclinic.co.za/en/corporate/corona-virus/covid-19-risk-assessmenttool.html. Fill in the fields and find out in a minute whether a test is necessary.
Hermanus Provincial Hospital and most clinics in the Overberg will conduct testing for free with results available in 72 hours. Where a test is required, a decision will then be made on whether to admit the patient or send them home for self-isolation until the results of the test are known. Please adhere to all medical advice presented by the team during the time of the assessment.
COVID-19 testing at Mediclinic Hermanus Dr Sicker of the Mediclinic Hermanus has advised that the Emergency Centre is open from Monday to Sunday, 09:00 – 16.00. If you have been advised that you need to be tested, your ID number, telephone number, email address and medical aid details will be required. Do not enter the facility. Do park your vehicle at casualty and call either 028 313 0168, 082 785 5917 or 083 377 7843. Indicate that you wish to be tested for COVID-19. You will be met by medical staff at your vehicle to complete documentation prior to testing. The testing procedure itself takes around 5 minutes and test samples are delivered to Pathcare for processing. Results are available between 24 – 48 hrs. You will be contacted via WhatsApp (or email /telephonically if you prefer) with your test result. The cost of the test and screening procedure is covered by medical aid (PMB condition).
