Let this be a wake-up call to all.
We are not out of danger yet as far as the Coronavirus pandemic is concerned.
South Africans can feel relieved and optimistic after making it through Levels 5 to 2 of lockdown - eish, those were some tough times - but that doesn’t mean we can relax in level 1.
Because this Covid-19 bug is not going to take a break.
The virus is still among us and is still infecting and killing people.
The reality hit home after the news that 89 people tested positive after jolling at the Tin Roof bar in Claremont recently.
38 of them were high school pupils.
This in spite of the owner insisting that all protocols were being followed - temperature screening, masks, sanitisers and all staff going for testing.
The number of patrons and social distancing rules were also being adhered to... yeah right!
The owner was smart enough to identify a loophole in the lockdown regulations that state while nightclubs are to remain shut, bars and shebeens may operate under certain “strict” conditions.
Fair enough. And the Tin Roof didn’t cop half as much flak as the stoute laaities and their irresponsible behaviour.
Not only have they played their part in raising the number of infections, but they’ve also put the lives of their families, friends and school communities at risk.
Someone jokingly warned: “They’re gonna f*** it up for all of us, better buy a few cartons of entjies and cases of beer.”
It’s not clear if what followed was a direct response, but the very next day, government decided to extend the National State of Disaster by one month to 15 November.
Everyone’s favourite minister, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said this would allow government to put plans in place to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 infections.
According to the Department of Health, South African death toll is over 18 000, with nearly 700 000 infections.
Western Cape Health Department head, Dr Keith Cloete, has also warned of a resurgence, saying: “The risk of having a second wave is significant and we are preparing as if one will come.”
He said that if a 10% to 20% increase in infections was seen, it would be reason for an alert and anything more than a 20% increase would represent a “second wave”.
Should we record more cases of infection and deaths, then the possibility of going back to level 2, 3 or 4 becomes a reality.
And we don’t want that again, do we?
Fortunately, this is something we can prevent.
A second wave is not something that will hit us out of nowhere.
We, and our behaviour in the next while, will determine if we experience a resurgence or not.
Look, we’ve done well to keep the spread of the virus under control over the past couple of months - by following the simple rules of wearing masks, sanitising and physical distancing.
Let’s keep it that way.