CORONAVIRUS DAILY DIGEST #137
Gauteng paid for personal protective equipment at vastly inflated prices, two iconic tourism spots go into survival mode, while Western Cape expands successful telemedicine project
On Monday, a Scorpio investigation revealed that the Gauteng Department of Health paid at least R500-million above market-related prices for personal protective equipment. Meanwhile, the lockdown has had a lasting impact on two iconic tourism spots in South Africa. And Western Cape plans to expand its project to find and support high-risk residents via telemedicine.
Scroll through the gallery below to view the latest Covid-19 numbers available on 31 August at the district level. All maps are sourced from provincial health departments. Mpumalanga did not provide an update by the time of publishing:
On Monday, a Scorpio investigation revealed that the Gauteng Department of Health had placed orders for personal protective equipment at a cost of more than R500-million above market-related prices. The department spent R1.28-billion on items that could have been bought for R776.5-million in total. Scorpio assessed about half of the department’s total expenditure, as more data is yet to be released. As Pieter-Louis Myburgh writes, a quarter of this spend was paid to companies which had been registered as suppliers to the province after the State of National Disaster was declared.
SA Tourism has said nearly 44,000 jobs are on the line and that the sector expects to lose 75% in projected revenue and R80-billion in income from international tourists. The lockdown has not spared two of South Africa’s most iconic tourist streets – Long Street in Cape Town and Vilakazi Street in Soweto. Sandisiwe Shoba and Bheki Simelane spoke to restaurateurs and traders about their strategies for survival.
Covid-19 lockdown impact: A tale of two streets – Long Street and Vilakazi Street
The Western Cape Health Department is rolling out its successful telemedicine initiative to rural areas of the province to make sure diabetics get the support they need during the pandemic.
Physician Neal David explains the ins and outs of the project and how it managed to save lives in Cape Town. DM
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