Covid-19

[Jerome]

^I don’t know about people dying in their cars Jerome, but there are field hospitals, and temporary tented facilities have been put up in the parking areas of the big hospitals in hotspots to assess patients before transferring them to wards, or to move stable patients out temporarily while taking in new patients. Yes, there have been reports of a few patients dying before being assigned to a proper bed, which is absolutely horrendous no matter the circumstances - not sure if those are all Covid patients or other emergencies as well - the system is overwhelmed, no doubt about it. Daily Maverick is usually a reliable source of information. Covid-19 Frontline Fighters: ‘When staff become patie... (dailymaverick.co.za)

There are not enough medical staff, or cleaning staff at certain hospitals (there have been protests and strikes because of inadequate PPE amongst other things – not sure where the Covid relief funds all went! Oh wait ...) and some hospitals have more capacity than others, depending on which area/province they are in.

We can’t cope with any more trauma, of any description and this is the primary motivation for the continuing ban on sales of alcohol. The Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, which is massive (third largest in the world), had not one single emergency trauma case on New Year’s eve; for the first time ever, the ward was empty, and they ascribe it 100% to the prohibition and the curfew. There simply has to be a blanket ban because people can’t behave themselves. Crime drops generally as well. Nation of miscreants, I’m sorry to say.

All our land borders have been closed now too. Until February 15th, at least. Thousands of people are trying to leave Zim or get back into South Africa after the Xmas holidays – some scary scenes at Beitbridge.

Curfew will continue – 21h00 to 05h00, no gatherings of more than 50% capacity at any venue, no more than 50 people at a funeral (plenty of those, sadly, due to TB and HIV+TB casualties as well – 63,000 deaths ascribed to this alone in 2019), no alcohol sales at all – stay at home where possible, strict protocols apply to any office environment/retail businesses and wear a mask if in public or get a fine or even imprisonment (which people just don’t do despite the threat – no ways it’s possible to enforce – too many just not giving a damn and who wouldn’t be able to pay a fine in any event). Oh, and beaches/lakes/rivers/dams are out of bounds.

Thx for the update Ruby - as for the Covid relief funds - just look in the back pocket of any ANC politician and you will find it. Some things never change. I have heard about officials taking bribes at the border and not asking any questions. Same old same old.