Recent COVID-19 developments and other updates

08 April 2020 | Campus Announcement

Dear students,

This campus announcement aims to inform the UCT community about recent Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) updates.

1. Updates on UCT COVID-19 cases

UCT is pleased to report that the first student to test positive for COVID-19 at the university has now fully recovered. The student left self-isolation late last week.

Since the last update issued on 1 April, UCT has recorded one positive case of COVID-19. The staff member is currently receiving treatment. The process of contact tracing got underway immediately and all persons identified will remain in quarantine for 14 days.

UCT has now had seven cases of COVID-19 – four staff members and three students. This includes the two cases referred to above.

Updates on COVID-19 cases in the UCT community are now issued weekly.


2. Student access survey and loan laptops

The university leadership is preparing to continue the academic work in the context of COVID-19. As such, it is important to understand students’ circumstances in order to provide appropriate support. All students are requested to complete the Student Access Survey as soon as possible.

As a result of cost and availability, UCT cannot allocate computers to all the students who do not have devices. Financial need is the overarching criteria.


3. Research and postgraduate work during lockdown

Challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic provide great uncertainty and anxiety for many researchers who are unable to proceed with aspects of their projects for the moment, and have time-limited funding. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Sue Harrison has provided updates on what UCT is doing to support the research project and tips on how to continue your work.


4. UCT committed to continuing the academic year

The university has received a number of enquiries from students and parents regarding tuition and residence fees for 2020.

UCT, like all other public universities, is committed to ensuring that we complete the 2020 academic programme and graduate students. To this end, we are working closely with government, other universities and key stakeholders to ensure that we deliver on our mandate of providing quality higher education and research.

At this stage, it is too early to make any pronouncements that will have far reaching implications on the entire university community and the country. It is important to note that we are all putting necessary measures in place to ensure students complete their academic programmes before the end of the year.

The Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, who are the two major contributors to the higher education sector, have already confirmed their commitment to supporting the sector as best as possible during these uncertain times.

Thank you for your continued support and for your patience as we make plans for completing the academic year.


5. Tips on how to create a comfortable home workspace

Suzanne Key, occupational health nurse practitioner at UCT’s Safety, Health and Environmental unit in Properties and Services shares a few tips on how to set up your workspace at home and staying healthy during lockdown. These include practical workstations to avoid discomfort, the importance of a routine and regular exercise, and how to curb unhealthy snacking.

 

Communication and Marketing Department


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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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