Premier Alan Winde update on Coronavirus COVID-19 on 16 November

Update on the coronavirus by Premier Alan Winde

As of 1pm on 16 November, the Western Cape has 4700 active Covid-19 infections with a total of 120 921 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 111 759 recoveries.

Cape Metro Sub-districts:

Sub-districts:

Unallocated: 2131 (2013 recovered) 

Data note: It is not always possible to check and verify that the address data supplied for each new recorded case is correct, within the time frames required to provide regular and timely updates. This means that in some instances, cases could be allocated to the wrong sub-districts. We are working with the sub-districts to clean and verify the data and where errors are picked up locally, cases will be re-allocated to the correct areas.  

Due to some technical issues experienced in updating the data dashboard today, the data reflected in this release may differ slightly from the data on the Western Cape Government's data dashboard. This is due to a time difference in the time at which the data was accessed.

The Western Cape has recorded additional 9 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 4462. We send our condolences to their loved ones at this time. 

Skills development as a pathway to jobs and dignity for youth:

Today, I had the opportunity to visit the Motus Technical Training Academy to see how their work readiness programme is helping to change the lives of young people in the province. The programme takes young people who have just finished matric at technical schools and provides them with workplace readiness training, before placing them into three to four year apprenticeships in the motor industry.  

During this time, the apprentices receive a monthly stipend, and are able to prepare to write their trade tests and become qualified artisans. 

The Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism has provided funding to the programme because it is important that we develop a wide range of skills in the province. Having a strong pipeline of skills, which includes technical skills, makes us an attractive investment destination, while also making young people more employable.  

The Golden Arrow Bus company is one of the businesses that has opened its doors to apprentices from the academy and I had the opportunity to meet some of them today. It was heartening to see how these young people are making full use of the opportunity and are thinking and planning for their futures. 

During my visit, I heard that apprentices from the Motus Academy receive Golden Arrow bus passes for the duration of their training, which ensures that they are able to get to work every day without having to use their stipend money for transport. 

I was also very pleased to see a number of young women enrolled in the programme, as many artisan careers, particularly those in the motor trade, have traditionally been male dominated.  

The latest jobs data released last week shows that over 60% of South African youth are unemployed. One of the key focus areas of our recovery plan is saving jobs and creating the enabling environment to create new jobs. Equipping young people with skills that will help them find jobs or to start their own businesses when they qualify, will help us to achieve this goal. 

Support for wine tourism jobs: 

The Covid-19 lockdown has had a serious impact on many jobs, with the tourism and wine industries particularly hard hit. Today, Minister Ivan Meyer and the Department of Agriculture in the province launched the Wine Tourism Worker Support Stipend. By reprioritizing R12 million of the Department’s budget, the stipend will enable support to 1333 wine tourism workers. These are wine and food service employees, who are employed in a winery tasting room in the Western Cape. 

The stipend of R3 000 will be allocated per person per month for three consecutive months – the peak tourism months of December 2020, and January and February 2021 – to mitigate projected job losses. Each winery may claim for a maximum of 10 employees to give as many wineries access to the fund as possible, and all wineries are able to apply on behalf of their existing, permanent employees.  

The aim of the fund is to protect the jobs of wine tourism workers by subsidising their salaries for a key quarter of the tourism calendar. 

Applications for the fund can be made through Vinpro. The claim form can be downloaded from www.vinpro.co.za/wine-tourism, and once completed, submitted to tourism.applications@vinpro.co.za.