Pretoria News Weekend Saturday, June 6, 2020

SA STARTING TO OPEN UP It’s back to work and back to school for many despite not yet reaching the anticipated peak of the pandemic LIAM NGOBENI liam.ngobeni@inl.co.za OUPA MOKOENA African News Agency (ANA) DESPITE an increase in the number of cases of coronavirus, the shift in the risk-adjusted strategy to lockdown level 3 marked a significant opening up of the economy, and finality on the decision to reopen schools from Monday. Former DA leader Mmusi Maimane failed in his bid to challenge the decision to reopen schools as the Constitutional Court did not see the need for direct access on an urgent basis. June 1 was back-to-work day for millions of South Africans and the difference could be seen at the taxi ranks, stations and on the road…

Restrictions still in place in level 3 include ● No consumption of food and alcohol in restaurants, bars, shebeens and taverns ● Personal care services such as hairdressers and nail salons where social distancing is not possible ● Hotels and accommodation for leisure stays ● Domestic air travel, except for essential business travel ● Conferences, events and other gatherings ● Cinemas, theatres, museums, casinos and other entertainment venues ● Gyms and fitness centres ● Beaches, public parks, sports grounds and swimming pools…

More than 8000 beds available as Gauteng prepares for increased infections STAFF REPORTER JOHANNESBURG has more than half the Covid-19 cases in Gauteng, and two districts of the city are among the province’s hot spots. Inner city and Joburg South – which saw the highest increase in the past week – and the Alexandra, Wynberg, Sandton districts each have above 400 cases, the highest in the province. Tshwane region 3, which includes Atteridgeville and the CBD, has the highest case load of the capital at 203. The province, which has the largest population in the country, had completed 267178 tests by June 4: one third of the tests done in South Africa. In terms of Covid-19 patients requiring medical care, of 308 in hospital, 228 are in private hospitals and…

CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN DAY 72 Lockdown: appeal is ‘surprising’ ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za THE lawyer who represented Liberty Fighters Network (LFN) – the group which scored a victory when it had some of the lockdown regulations declared invalid this week – said he was surprised by the fact that the government wanted to appeal the judgment. Zahir Omar yesterday said he had not yet received anything official from the government, thus did not know what the grounds for appeal would be. “The first I knew about it was when I read it in the media,” he said. Government has two weeks grace from the date of the judgment to note their intention to ask for leave to appeal. “Until they note their intention to appeal, the judgment stands.” The North Gauteng High…

Science boffins set to be honoured THE finalists in the 2019/2020 NSTF-South32 Awards have been announced and include individuals and organisations based in Pretoria. The awards – known as the Science Oscars – recognise excellence and outstanding contributions to science, engineering and technology (SET) and innovation in South Africa. Nominees for the lifetime award include Professor Michael Wingfield of the Biotechnology Institute, University of Pretoria (UP). Others on the list are Professor William J Bond, Department of Biological Sciences, UCT; Professor Faizal Bux, Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, DUT; Professor Raymond Durrheim, School of Geosciences, Wits; Professor Zakkie Pretorius, Department of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State; Professor Michèle Ramsay, director of the Sidney Brenner Institute of Molecular Bioscience; Professor Chrissie Rey, Department of Microbiology, Wits; Professor Leslie…

HEALTH Winter flu complicates pandemic ZELDA VENTER zelda.venter@inl.co.za AS we have officially entered winter, with lower temperatures and the flu which is common during this time, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, chairperson of the Covid-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee, said flu symptoms were very similar to those of Covid-19 and it was not always easy to differentiate between them. He spoke on the National Health Insurance Facebook page on how the flu affects our response and how we deal with Covid-19. Karim said a big challenge was that these two viral infections were initially similar. “They present in similar ways. Flu is generally more severe, however, Covid, in a small proportion of patients, becomes very severe and then often leads to death. “Our problem is going to be that if we simultaneously…