COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
The COVID-19 pandemic occurs in South Africa as part of the global COVID-19 pandemic . The infection is based on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which appeared at the end of 2019 . The COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide since December 2019.
Course and accompanying symptoms
The first case in South Africa was reported on March 5, 2020. On March 15, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of disaster, the preliminary stage of the national emergency . According to official statistics, on March 23, South Africa overtook Egypt as the hardest hit country in Africa, where the virus had already been detected in mid-February.
On March 23, the mines were shut down for three weeks. On the same day, Ramaphosa imposed a national curfew from March 26th.
More than 17,000 people were arrested after a week of curfew for violating the same. The parliamentary opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA) used reports of videos circulating on social media of violent attacks by armed forces against civilians to call on the South African military ombudsman Vusi Masondo to clarify these matters. DA MP Kobus Marais described these incidents as unacceptable and sharply condemned them; they encroached on fundamental rights and represented a violation of the mandate of the armed forces. A conversation between the Marais and army chief Mannetjies de Goede resulted in the promise that there would be an investigation into this. It was demanded that the SANDF and SAPS personnel involved in the wrongdoing be held accountable. Marais also stated that the lockdown regulations must be observed and consequences should be expected in the event of injuries. DA spokesman and opposition leader in parliament John Steenhuisen called for the establishment of a parliamentary ad hoc committee that would continuously oversee the government and its institutions to ensure civil rights in the country and the protection of the rule of law during the special corona regulations.
A 55-year-old man died of cardiac arrest after being hit by police while shopping for alcohol. According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (German: "Independent Police Observation Directorate"), three deaths under police influence are due for investigation at the beginning of April 2020. According to anonymous statements from police circles, the police apparatus is frustrated because there is persistent uncertainty about how to deal with civilians who do not comply with the lockdown rules. The instructions would be changed every week, for example for taxi operations. In addition, there are uncoordinated announcements from some ministries. “We have to enforce the law in black and white. People don't listen, they don't think this virus will affect them and they are walking around everywhere, ”a police officer told the Mail & Guardian .
President Ramaphosa announced on March 28, 2020 that border traffic would be temporarily suspended at 35 of the 53 land-based border crossings. At the end of March 2020, work began on building a border fence at the Beitbridge border crossing into Zimbabwe . Patricia de Lille , Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure, has presented this construction project as a measure against the spread of the coronavirus in South Africa.
According to the revised emergency regulations of April 2, 2020 in accordance with the ordinance of the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma , funerals involving the next of kin are allowed. It is also permitted to travel across provincial borders; the group size of the funeral societies was limited to 50 people. A few days later, the state of emergency was extended to the end of April. It was also not allowed to leave the house for jogging or with dogs; The sale of alcohol and tobacco products was also prohibited. The DA warned of an economic disaster in view of the extension.
In mid-April, several mining companies resumed production with restrictions.
The state conducted extensive screening, largely focusing on regions where infections were high. By the end of April, 60,000 fast-tracked people were going door-to-door interviewing six million people about symptoms. A total of 195,000 people were tested during this time, and those who tested positive were sent to isolation at home or specially set up bed centers. An alcohol ban was also imposed. Gradual easing of restrictions began on May 1st.
On June 5, 2020, the North Gauteng High Court upheld a lawsuit by the Liberty Fighters Network alleging that several government restrictions were not rational and therefore illegal.
statistics
The number of cases developed during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa as follows:
Infections,
cured persons and deaths (all cumulative) in South Africa according to data from the CSSE at Johns Hopkins University
Confirmed infections (cumulative) in South Africa over the course of the week
according to WHO data
New infections (per calendar week) in South Africa
according to WHO data
Confirmed deaths (cumulative) in South Africa over the course of the week
according to WHO data
Confirmed deaths (per calendar week) in South Africa
according to WHO data
Consequences for tourism and wildlife
In the Kruger National Park in South Africa, 2/3 of the 500 tourism companies located there began to lay off employees (including rangers ).
Some ranger units have reported an increase in bushmeat poaching, which impoverished Africans can feed on. As a precaution against poaching , through which poachers can additionally feed themselves through the sale of hunting trophies , three reserves in South Africa began to saw off the horns of rhinos so that they would not be killed by poachers.
See also
Web links
- National Institute for Communicable Diseases: COVID-19 update . at www.nicd.ac.za (English), updated figures by province
- Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University : Covid-19 Latest from SMU . Info update on www.smu.ac.za (English), country-specific basic information
- World Health Organization (WHO): Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports on the website www.who.int (English)
- Johns Hopkins CSSE : Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases. (English)
- Website Worldometers : data of the Corona virus pandemic (English)
Remarks
- ↑ a b c d Cases reported to WHO by national authorities are listed here. Since the situation is very dynamic, there may be discrepancies or delays between the cases of the WHO and the data of national authorities as well as the information provided by other bodies, such as the Johns Hopkins University (CSSE). The reporting period is set out in the respective WHO report above and in most cases is set from 10 a.m. on the previous day to 10 a.m. on the reporting day.
Individual evidence
- ↑ How South Africa is being hit by the coronavirus. In: FAZ.NET . March 23, 2020, accessed March 24, 2020 .
- ↑ Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report - 60. (PDF) In: Website who.int . March 19, 2020, accessed March 24, 2020 .
- ^ Covid-19: un premier décès au Cameroun. lepoint.fr of March 24, 2020 (French), accessed on March 28, 2020
- ↑ VIRUS / Corona crisis in South Africa. President decides on curfew. In: Focus.de . March 23, 2020, accessed March 24, 2020 .
- ↑ Anne Backhaus, Fritz Schaap, DER SPIEGEL: Corona: African states enforce the curfew so brutally - DER SPIEGEL - politics. Retrieved April 6, 2020 .
- ↑ Andisiwe Makinana: DA calls for investigation into 'gross violations' by soldiers policing lockdown . News in Sowetan live from March 30, 2020 on www.sowetanlive.co.za (English)
- ^ Lester Kiewit: 'Frustrated' police resort to force . Message in Mail & Guardian of April 2, 2020 at www.mg.co.za (English)
- ↑ Ernest Mabuza: SA's 40km Zimbabwe border fence goes ahead despite lockdown . News in Times Live from March 27, 2020 on www.timeslive.co.za (English)
- ^ Government Communication and Information System: Government gazettes revised regulations as COVID-19 cases climb . Announcement from April 2, 2020 on www.sanews.gov.za (English)
- ↑ Republic of South Africa: Disaster Management Act (57/2002): Amendment of Regulations issued in terms of Section 27 (2) . In: Government Gazette No. 43199 of April 2, 2020, online at www.cogta.gov.za (PDF document, English)
- ↑ Coronavirus in South Africa: Lockdown extension condemned. bbc.com of April 10, 2020 (English), accessed on April 10, 2020
- ^ Mining Journal: Unions 'condemn panic' as some South Africa mines restart. mining-journal.com from April 15, 2020 (English), accessed on April 17, 2020
- ↑ Nicole Macheroux-Denault: Virus numbers better than expected - the “South African way” seems to be working. In: n-tv.de. May 1, 2020, accessed May 3, 2020 .
- ^ Southern African Legal Information Institute: De Beer and Others v Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (21542/2020) [2020 ZAGPPHC 184 (2 June 2020). ] saflii.org (English), accessed June 7, 2020
- ↑ Thilo Thielke: South Africa's Supreme Court rejects corona measures. faz.net June 5, 2020, accessed June 7, 2020
- ^ Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Retrieved April 21, 2020 (English).
- ↑ CSSEGISandData / COVID-19. Retrieved April 21, 2020 (English).
- ↑ As of August 16, 2020, the daily announcement of the numbers was changed to a weekly rhythm. The numbers of the first weekly report ( August 17, 2020 , pdf) are identical to those of the WHO report No. 209 (August 16, 2020, pdf) and are also based on the status of August 16, 2020 at 10 a.m. after the report itself is shown . They can therefore be continued seamlessly from the second weekly report ( August 24, 2020 , pdf), as this was announced accordingly at 10 a.m. on August 23, 2020. In order not to make this too confusing, the date of the publication (August 24th) is not used here for the database (August 23rd).
- ↑ a b c d Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) situation reports; Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. WHO, accessed August 1, 2020 .
- ↑ a b c Fritz Schaap, DER SPIEGEL: In South Africa, with the collapse of tourism, poaching will increase - DER SPIEGEL - politics. Retrieved June 28, 2020 .
