Medical staff prepare to test a person for Covid-19 at a testing station in Johannesburg during the national lockdown. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Kim Ludbrook) 
Swipe through the gallery below to view the latest Covid-19 numbers available on 25 May at the district level. All maps are sourced from provincial health departments; however, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng did not provide updates by the time of publishing:
Fear of being infected with Covid-19 or being harassed by police has kept thousands of people from seeking out health facilities for lifesaving treatment for TB, HIV and diabetes. The health department is addressing the fears through messaging, but some health experts are concerned that the damage has already been done. As Kerry Cullinan writes, some facilities continue to grapple with how to integrate Covid-19 into their services.
On Monday, a statement of support for Professor Glenda Gray signed by 250 senior academics was published. The scientific community was responding to a call by the acting director-general of the Health Department, Dr Anban Pillay, that Gray be investigated for her comments in the media regarding the rationale of the lockdown regulations.
Meanwhile, the Mponeng mine has been temporarily closed after 164 employees tested positive for Covid-19. As Ed Stoddard reports, the mine had only been operating at 50% capacity and will undergo a deep clean and sanitisation.
South Africa’s largest horse racing and betting group, Phumelela Gaming & Leisure, has furloughed 85% of its staff after horse racing was suspended under the lockdown – this is despite the R100-million grant from the Oppenheimer family. Ray Mahlaka reports that furloughed workers will not be paid full salaries for April.
Rating agency S&P Global Ratings has estimated that South Africa’s economy will shrink by 4.5% this year and that per capita GDP will shrink for the sixth year in a row. Ed Stoddard writes that the agency’s contraction forecast is much more optimistic compared to others.
The Western Cape has set aside R1.14-billion to fund its Covid-19 response, but this won’t be enough. This came to light during a briefing to the legislature’s ad hoc oversight committee on Covid-19 last week. As Suné Payne reports, this amount needs to be stretched far beyond just the health department.
After the closure of a temporary shelter at Strandfontein, the City of Cape Town allegedly “dumped” homeless people under a bridge in Culemborg. A lawyer for the group has written to the City demanding they provide security and quarantine or isolation. Vincent Cruywagen reports that the City has responded by saying they offered accommodation at shelters and could not compel anyone to stay there. DM