Raging Regret As Super-Spreader Event Hits Community
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Lucas Tandokwazi Sithole Alexander Rose-Innes, Oak Trees, oil on canvas The Coalbrook Widow, carved SOLD R70,000 wood painted with liquid steel SOLD R36,000 19th century oak 2-door cabinet SOLD R22,000 Art, antiques, objets d’art, furniture, and jewellery wanted Edinburgh silver teakettle on stand complete with for forthcoming auctions burner SOLD R20,000 View upcoming auction highlights at www.rkauctioneers.co.za 011 789 7422 • 011 326 3515 • 083 675 8468 • 12 Allan Road, Bordeaux, Johannesburg south african n Volume 24 – Number 45 n 11 December 2020 n 25 Kislev 5781 The source of quality content, news and insights t www.sajr.co.za Raging regret as super-spreader event hits community TALI FEINBERG A matriculant who went on Rage and have been really careful since I got back.” “Yes we can blame parents and some virus on Rage says, “Rage was the one thing contracted COVID-19, says, “I knew the risks, A mother whose daughter attended are regretting that they didn’t exert their that got my child through matric. He had the matric pupil lies in high care at a but I had so much taken away this year. I had Rage and contracted the virus blames authority, but the fact is that we’ve kept time of his life, but at what cost? We have Johannesburg Netcare hospital. nothing to look forward to. Going on Rage felt the organisers. Speaking on condition of 18-year-olds locked up for a year. They were been so careful, but we just couldn’t say no to Her peers are being admitted like it was only fair. I haven’t seen friends, I anonymity, she says there was “immense told there was a party happening and it this. I was hoping the government wouldn’t toA hospital or are locked down, battling walked around my own home with a mask on pressure on parents” to allow their children to would be safe. But there was no way to allow it, but when it went ahead, I must respiratory symptoms, fatigue, body aches, since September, I haven’t touched my family. attend the event. make it COVID-safe. It was negligent of the admit I wanted him to have fun and put the and nausea. Families are quarantined and It’s just been work, online lessons, extra “I know better, and I realise the extent of organisers to put that bait there. They may struggle of this year behind him.” long-awaited holiday plans are put on lessons, and studying.” Now locked away COVID-19. Yet we still sent our kids because have got regulations passed and protocols in Professor Lucille Blumberg, the deputy hold. Doctors and virologists fear a wave in her room, she is experiencing COVID-19 of the huge Rage marketing campaign that place, but it doesn’t mean anything. It was a director at the National Institute for of contagion that will impact our most symptoms including body aches, headaches, has been going on since last year. There was recipe for disaster.” She is angry and admits Communicable Diseases (NICD) says, “The vulnerable. All because of a single celebration and fatigue. talk of cancelling, but then it went ahead and that, “While sending my child on Rage was risk of lots of people being infected from this – Rage in Ballito from “I was anxious about going. I knew the they kept kids as interested as they could. negligent, I didn’t have a choice. There was event is very high because of the very close 27 November to 4 December, declared huge risk. I was really scared, as were three Parents couldn’t say no in the face of that extreme pressure that came with the event contact with other attendees . We are going a “super-spreader event” by the health of my friends. At one stage, we considered campaign and after a year of lockdown. From being offered.” to see the secondary effects on healthcare department on 6 December. pulling out, but then decided to go. We were the outset, it should have cancelled. Another parent whose son contracted the workers, families, the elderly, and those “I don’t know of a single matriculant as careful as we could be. But once with co-morbidities within the that didn’t catch COVID-19 there,” says one you’re there, it’s so different. To keep community. Matrics really need to mother, speaking on condition of anonymity. your mask on the whole time is so Chanukah, oh Chanukah… take responsibility now to break the “It’s been an unmitigated disaster,” says unrealistic. You eat together, you’re chain of transmission, but it is likely physician and pulmonologist Dr Anton in your room together, and you can’t the spread has already occurred. Meyberg. “The worst part is that parents sleep with your mask on. So it’s all “All those who attended Rage are saying they weren’t warned, so I’m not pointless. must quarantine for 10 days post sure what we’ve been doing for the past 10 “The actual Rage events were so last contact with anyone from months. These kids are now sick, many have strict. They would stop the music Rage, irrespective of presence of co-morbidities and some have been admitted if people weren’t keeping a social Ilan Ossendryver Photo: symptoms or not,” she says. “If to hospital. Everyone thinks young people distance. They refused to let people any attendees develop symptoms can’t get sick, but this virus doesn’t have any in if it reached the limit, and blasted they need to test for the virus boundaries. There are no rules for COVID-19.” sirens to remind people to keep apart. and follow national guidelines. General practitioner Dr Daniel Israel There was also a police presence,” It is recommended that all agrees. “It’s madness. We’re seeing a lot of she says. attendees have a COVID test – if no panic. There’s defnitely a three or fourfold “A lot of people went to restaurants symptoms then probably testing increase in cases [in Johannesburg]. Matric and clubs where it wasn’t so strict. seven days after last contact with Rage should never have happened because I think it was mainly spread at someone at Rage would be a it was so tempting for teens. It’s putting a restaurants, and I saw the people reasonable time. stumbling block in front of the blind.” making my food had pulled down “Even a negative test doesn’t Subsequent Rage weeks at other coastal their masks. The Rage organisers tried exclude COVID-19 – the tests aren’t towns, which traditionally allow Grade 12s their best – we weren’t even allowed 100% sensitive and the virus could to celebrate the end of school, have been to buy alcoholic drinks at their events, still be incubating. So you must cancelled in light of the rate of infection at so many people got bored and left. Sarah, Tzipi (lighting the candle), and Mendel with their mother, Rebbetzin Batya Kievman. self-isolate for 10 days from your Ballito. 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Laureen Shalpid 083 789 0229 Laureen Shalpid 083 789 0229 2 SA JEWISH REPORT 11 December 2020 – 15 January 2021 Experts plead for adherence to stop second COVID-19 wave TALI FEINBERG University. His comments come as the Western admitted to hospital over that period. Cape government released alerts about dramatic The South African Zionist Federation and youth ven before matric Rage was declared a increases in active cases of COVID-19 in Sea Point movements said youngsters couldn’t attend day “super-spreader” event, the country was and Milnerton. In Sea Point, a Jewish community camps if they had attended matric Rage, reside in bracing itself for a second wave of COVID-19 hub, the number of active cases in the week of the same house as someone who had attended it, Einfection.