Pretoria West MAY 14, 2021 • 012-842-0300 BMW CEO Peter van Binsbergen, Gauteng Department of Health Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi and Gauteng Premier The 150 bedded Covid-19 ward will help alleviate pressure from the David Makhura at the opening of the Covid-19 overfl ow facility at Bronkhorstspruit hospital. neighbouring hospital. Photos: Gauteng Media Metro ‘ready’ for third wave During the Gauteng provincial command council briefi ng on Friday, a slight increase in Covid-19 cases was fl agged as a ‘grave concern’. Sinesipho Schrieber The National Institute of Communicable the province had a seven-day rolling spike Diseases (NICD) released a modelling in new cases but had not as yet reached the As the possibility of a third Covid-19 wave Covid-19 consortium report last week third wave threshold “but the increase in loomed, with Gauteng expected to be the Monday, detailing that Gauteng was expected infections is worrisome”. epicentre, Tshwane metro was said to be to be the hotspot of Covid-19 infections in the “Last week Thursday, we were sitting at “prepared” for any surge in cases. anticipated third wave. just under 300 cases but this week we are Tshwane health MMC Sakkie du Plooy Du Plooy said the region’s fi rst defence in at 688 new cases.” said a slight increase in new Covid-19 the fi ght against Covid-19 was strengthening Kawonga said the department infections was noted in the past week, but the vaccination roll-out programme by adding noted a lack of adherence to Covid-19 he remained confi dent that the region was more sites to ensure a smooth roll-out. interventions in communities, describing prepared for any major increase in cases. “While we have mainly been using two it as “a recipe for a bigger number of cases main vavaccination points in the region, we and could be attributed to a build-up of the hhaveave aaddedd a total of 91 non-medical sites third wave”. ssuchuch as community halls and a few old age Professor Bruce Mellado of the Gauteng hhomesomes tthat will be used during phase two. We premier’s advisory committee fl agged an are reareadyd for the next vaccination phase.” increase in mobility in the province to be He ssaida with a target for Covid-19 close to the level it was just before the vvaccinationaccina phase two, for those aged 60 years second wave which hit the province last year Gauteng Premier David Makhura. and ovover,e standing at more than 300 000, it December and early this year. would ttake some time to complete. “This is concerning as mobility attributes to year May to fi ght against any resurgence. ““WeWe wwant to encourage our residents to the number of transmissions. “We have about 4 564 beds available rregisteregister online. Booking is important and the “With high mobility, we have all the for Covid-19 infections throughout the ssoonerooner oone registers the better because phase elements for a resurgence.” province.” ttwowo wiwilll be a big programme and will take a Wits health sciences dean Professor Shabir With more than 5 000 staff appointed for llongong titimem to conclude.” Madhi predicted that the province might hit Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, DDuu PPlooyl said it was too early to say the the third wave threshold in about three Makhura believed they had the workforce regionregion wouldw have high cases during the third weeks. they needed to fi ght a possible infection wave evenev though a slight increase had been The researchers and the government urged resurgence. notednoted inin the past week. the public to adhere to wearing masks and On Monday, a report released by the “Although“Alth we had a cluster outbreak observe social distancing. NICD and based on fi ve scenarios looking at the UUniversity of Pretoria about two They warned against large social gatherings at the potential rise in infections, found that monthsmonths ago, and another at a local high as a potential spike to infection resurgence. Gauteng would have the highest cases due schoolschool (Waterkloof)( where several people Gauteng David Makhura said the steady, to the higher concentration of working-age were infected,in these were contained very notable increase in the number of Covid-19 adults and people with comorbidities in the eff ectively.”ectiv infections was an indicator of an early phase province, and the lower estimates of zero DuringDurin the Gauteng provincial command of the third wave. prevalence. Tshwane region three, which councilcouncil briefi ng on Friday, a slight increase According to the Gauteng statistics from includes Atteridgeville, Laudium, Pretoria inin Covid-19Co cases was fl agged as a “grave 30 April to 6 May, 3 381 new cases were CBD, Hercules, Danville, Saulsville, Lotus concern”.con recorded. Gardens and Pretoria West, was among areas TheT premier’s advisory council Makhura was, however, confi dent that his that recorded slightly higher cases over the Tshwane health MMC Sakkie du Plooy. chairpersonch Dr Mary Kawonga said government was in a better position than last past two weeks. 2 NEWS PRETORIA WEST REKORD MAY 14, 2021 Pta-noodpersoneel neem hartseer afskeid van oud-lektor en vriend Van Vuuren is na ’n beroerte dood in ’n hospitaal in Kimberley waar hy werkagtig was as ’n helikopter-nooddienslid. Corlia van Deventer Wow, so skielik is jy van ons weggeneem. Ek sê dit asof ons nie Pretoria paramedici en nooddienste gereeld hiermee te doen kry nie. neem met hartseer afskeid van oud- Die lewe is kort. Ons weet dit, ons kollega Vandré van Vuuren (47). werk met dit, ons sien dit, ons lewe Op 8 Mei het plaaslike dit. Maar besef dit nie altyd nie. Ek paramedikus Xander Loubser die besef dit vanaand verseker weer, hartseer tyding op sosiale media omdat jy net ‘weg’ is na 8 jaar. meegedeel. Alles wat ek weet van touredding, Johan Cloete, Palesa Manchidi and Kenny Mafala. “Dit was skielik en baie hartseer knope, hoëhoekredding en so bietjie om te hoor van sy heengaan,” het van die lewe het ek by die legende Loubser Maandag aan Rekord gesê. VvV geleer. Van Vuuren is na ’n beroerte Op universiteit was ek maar net dood in ’n hospitaal in Kimberley een van jou studente. Ek giggel Join drug users’ waar hy werkagtig was as ’n nou nog sag as ek terugdink aan helikopter-nooddienslid. die jaar wat jy ingestap het in die Hy laat twee dogters agter. 3e Jaar NDip-studente se klas, jy Vandré van Vuuren. “Hy was my lektor op het aangekondig dat jy die 3e jaar universiteit, my vriend en kollega. groep se Koördineerder is, jy het naglig gelê en sterre kyk en jy het programme now jou kennis met ons gedeel. Ons Hy het saam en ook vír my gewerk. gelag en gesê ‘This is a big f#ckup’ Ek gaan hom vreeslik mis.” en ons almal het gelag omdat het as ’n groep van 6 mans op Lunga Mzangwe “It brings a sense of ’n ‘mission’ gegaan, soos jy dit humanity to them. We also have Loubser vertel van hul agt- ons saam jou gestem het. Maar jaarlange vriendskap en sê hy kyk, as VvV geskreeu het ‘3DE genoem het, en jy het my vrees vir Community Oriented Substance contributions of clothing which hoogte en die onbekende gebreek. Use Programme (Cosup) in come in now and again.” (Van Vuuren) het “van die beste” JAAAAAAARS!!!’ dan het ons paramedici opgelei by die Sentrale geskarrel en die ‘job’ gedoen gekry, Ek het dit oorkom omdat jy onder Hercules is urging drug users and Cosup co-leader Kenny Mafala my gestaan het en my voete ferm families, who have members who said drugs were a big problem Universiteit van Tegnologie in iets wat nie veel ander lektore kon Vrystaat. regkry nie. vasgehou het en gesê het, ‘Vertrou are struggling with drug abuse, to in the area and had led to many my’ met ’n gerusstellende stem. Ek join their programme. homes being broken. Hy het ’n emosionele brief op Ons het klippe gekou, letterlik, Facebook gedeel van sy beste in Thaba Nchu en in Fiksburg het my foon op die ‘edge’ van daai Community health worker “Sometimes you see parents rots uitgehaal en ’n ‘selfi e’ geneem Palesa Manchidi said their main who bring their children to join herinneringe saam met Van Vuuren: op ons 2e jaar ‘Mountain Hikes’ - VvV - saam met jou, ons het onder die terwyl ek in jou hande was, dit was aim was to help drug users. our programme. The parents are duidelik dat ek nie meer bang was “We are there to identify them hurt as the kids are terrorising nie. and assist them,” said Manchidi. them. There is no relationship Jy was ernstig oor jou‘mission’ “Our programme includes a between them.” en ons het volhard. Ek het jou in clinical associate, who is our He urged parents to bring their die yskoue water ingetrek (per doctor, who takes care of the children to the clinic. ongeluk) op die einste ‘mission’ en medical side of things. “It is not easy, but maybe jy het kop gehou en gesê ‘Trap op “We also have a social worker someday something good might my, trap op my’ en my laat oorklim, for private, family, spiritual and come out of it.” daarna het jy vir die ander 4 mans group counselling. You don’t need Johan Cloete, from the Pretoria to make an appointment and are West community care forum, geskreeu ‘Go, Go, Go, Go’ en so welcome to come in at any time also urged parents not to give up het jy in daai yskoue water gesit from 08:00-16:00.” on their children who are using en toegelaat dat ons almal oor jou Manchidi said the programme drugs.