Help for the elderly continues during lockdown

27 March 2020 | Story Carla Bernardo. Photos Pexels. Read time 4 min.
Older people are at a significantly higher risk of complications should they contract COVID-19.
Older people are at a significantly higher risk of complications should they contract COVID-19.

UCT News spoke to business science student Kate Charter about Cape Town Against Corona – the volunteer group she started to assist elderly people in the city during the coronavirus outbreak as they are at a significantly higher risk of complications should they contract the disease.

Amid the pandemic, Charter’s work, and the work of the volunteers who have joined her, is a shining example of solidarity and humanity in action.

When asked if any other University of Cape Town (UCT) staff and students had volunteered their services, a special mention was Dr Leon Geffen, an honorary senior lecturer in the Division of Geriatric Medicine with the Albertina & Walter Sisulu Institute of Ageing in Africa and the executive director of the Samson Institute For Ageing Research (SIFAR).

“He has offered me so much help and support, from having the team at SIFAR develop online databases for my pairing of volunteers and elderly, to putting me in contact with those in the Cape Town community who could help spread the word of the organisation and offer me the best advice going forward,” said Charter.

She added that there have been UCT students who have signed up, but she is not able to provide their names yet.

Carla Bernardo (CB): Why did you start Cape Town Against Corona?

Kate Charter (KC): I was motivated by a wish to use my time away from university to do something productive that would bring about a positive from a very troublesome situation. I came across a similar organisation (now partnering with us) called Shopping Angels in the United States (US) and found nothing had been set up in South Africa. I just took the initiative and set up Cape Town Against Corona.

CB: What has been the response thus far? From calls for volunteers and donations to feedback online?

KC: The response has been fantastic! In terms of volunteers, we had over 150 sign up within two days of starting the initiative in mid-March, and it grows every day. I have also had fantastic help offered to me by companies in the city, offering anything from marketing help to research and database development – sophisticated systems and processes I otherwise would not have been able to develop. And I never asked for donations but have been offered regardless.

CB: With the lockdown happening, is there any way we can continue supporting the elderly? Will the group evolve to do so?

CB: How many elderly people have you managed to assist? What form has this assistance taken?

KC: It is difficult to say how many exactly we have assisted as we have also helped other organisations for the elderly in providing their services. For example, we helped Meals on Wheels to deliver 500 meals to the elderly around Cape Town [on Thursday, 26 March]. Some volunteers have also developed relationships with the elderly and therefore take responsibility to deliver to them without even going through the initiative. This is exactly what I wanted though, for the Cape Town community to come together and look out for each other; the organisation just being a platform to help this connection happen. 

KC: Yes, we will continue to operate, as has our partner organisation in the US. I am currently in the process of having an identity card developed for volunteers, which they can show to authorities if they question what they are doing. However, in the meantime, volunteers will only be paired with the elderly within their area to avoid complications.

If you would like to get involved, contact Charter on capetownagainstcovid19@gmail.com and follow the group on Facebook.


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UCT’s response to COVID-19

COVID-19 is a global pandemic that caused President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national disaster in South Africa on 15 March 2020 and to implement a national lockdown from 26 March 2020. UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.

Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has in June 2022 repealed some of South Africa’s remaining COVID-19 regulations: namely, sections 16A, 16B and 16C of the Regulations Relating to the Surveillance and the Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions under the National Health Act. We are now no longer required to wear masks or limit gatherings. Venue restrictions and checks for travellers coming into South Africa have now also been removed.

In July 2022, the University of Cape Town (UCT) revised its approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic on UCT campuses in 2022.
Read the latest document available on the UCT policies web page.

 

Campus communications

 
2022

Adjusting to our new environment 16:50, 23 June 2022
VC Open Lecture and other updates 17:04, 13 April 2022
Feedback from UCT Council meeting of 12 March 2022 09:45, 18 March 2022
UCT Council
March 2022 graduation celebration 16:45, 8 March 2022
Report on the meeting of UCT Council of 21 February 2022 19:30, 21 February 2022
UCT Council
COVID-19 management 2022 11:55, 14 February 2022
Return to campus arrangements 2022 11:15, 4 February 2022

UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre

On Wednesday, 20 July, staff from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences came together with representatives from the Western Cape Government at the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre at Forest Hill Residence to acknowledge the centre’s significance in the fight against COVID-19 and to thank its staff for their contributions. The centre opened on 1 September 2021 with the aim of providing quality vaccination services to UCT staff, students and the nearby communities, as well as to create an opportunity for medical students from the Faculty of Health Sciences to gain practical public health skills. The vaccination centre ceased operations on Friday, 29 July 2022.

With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.

 

“After almost a year of operation, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, located at the Forest Hill residence complex in Mowbray, will close on Friday, 29 July 2022. I am extremely grateful and proud of all staff, students and everyone involved in this important project.”
– Vice-Chancellor Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng

With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.


Thank You UCT Community

Frequently asked questions

 

Global Citizen Asks: Are COVID-19 Vaccines Safe & Effective?

UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) collaborated with Global Citizen, speaking to trusted experts to dispel vaccine misinformation.



If you have further questions about the COVID-19 vaccine check out the FAQ produced by the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF). The DTHF has developed a dedicated chat function where you can ask your vaccine-related questions on the bottom right hand corner of the website.

IDM YouTube channel | IDM website
 

 

“As a contact university, we look forward to readjusting our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in 2023 as the COVID-19 regulations have been repealed.”
– Prof Harsha Kathard, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning

We are continuing to monitor the situation and we will be updating the UCT community regularly – as and when there are further updates. If you are concerned or need more information, students can contact the Student Wellness Service on 021 650 5620 or 021 650 1271 (after hours), while staff can contact 021 650 5685.

 

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