Dear colleagues
This campus announcement aims to inform the University of Cape Town community about recent developments on campus.
1. UCT preparedness for the new Level Three Lockdown regulation
There has been a marked increase in COVID-19 infections, hospital admissions and deaths across the country. President Cyril Ramaphosa this week announced adjusted Lockdown Level Three regulations. The adjusted regulations, published on 11 January, include new curfew hours from 21:00 to 05:00 and closure of all land ports of entry until 15 February 2021.
To comply with the adjusted Lockdown Level Three, the university has in place all the necessary procedures and protocols. Under Lockdown Level Three, UCT will continue to operate as a low-density campus that relies on physically distanced learning (PDL) in the first semester of 2021, which will start on 15 March 2021.
The university’s preparations for Lockdown Level Three and for the first semester of 2021 are in line with international guidelines to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. All students and staff members will be required to produce their letters of authority, as well as evidence that they have completed the Higher Health Check app for COVID symptoms, in order to access campuses.
2. The Distinguished Teacher Award 2020 – call for nominations
Students and members of the academic staff are hereby invited to submit nominations for the Distinguished Teacher Award for 2020. The Award is the highest accolade awarded to teaching staff at all levels within UCT. Through the award, the university recognises excellent teaching and acknowledges the primary place of teaching and learning in the institution’s work.
Each year the Distinguished Teachers Award Committee considers nominations made by students and staff on behalf of a number of excellent teachers. The committee examines each submission in detail in accordance with a carefully devised rubric, terms of reference and set of criteria.
All full-time members of the staff who have taught at UCT for a minimum period of five years are eligible for the award.
Nominations can be submitted to the Committee by 19 February 2021. Nominees are required to submit their portfolio electronically by 16 April 2021. The outcomes of the adjudication process will be announced in the third quarter of 2021.
3. The Annual Bongani Memorial Lecture
The Faculty of Health Sciences is hosting the second annual Bongani Mayosi Memorial Lecture virtually, to honour the legacy of the late Professor Bongani Mayosi. The event this year has received formal recognition by the UCT Council and will be an inaugural university lecture. The lecture will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform on Thursday, 28 January 2021 from 18:00.
The keynote speaker is Professor George Mensah, the director of the Centre for Translation Research and Implementation Science at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the USA. Professor Mensah is currently a Visiting Professor in Medicine at UCT and will speak on “A celebration of African Scholarship”.
4. COVID-19 updates
As at 12 January 2021, UCT has 265 reported cases of COVID-19 among non-health sciences staff members, with 189 recoveries. The university is deeply saddened to note that we have lost 14 staff members to the virus. With the holiday season coming to an end, UCT will also shortly provide an update on students impacted by the virus.
The university continues to urge members of the UCT community to remain alert to the reality of increasing infections in the country and support each other during this pandemic.
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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.
UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated regularly with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.
Getting credible, evidence-based, accessible information and recommendations relating to COVID-19
The Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, are producing educational video material for use on digital platforms and in multiple languages. The information contained in these videos is authenticated and endorsed by the team of experts based in the Department of Medicine. Many of the recommendations are based on current best evidence and are aligned to provincial, national and international guidelines. For more information on UCT’s Department of Medicine, please visit the website.
To watch more videos like these, visit the Department of Medicine’s YouTube channel.
As the COVID-19 crisis drags on and evolves, civil society groups are responding to growing and diversifying needs – just when access to resources is becoming more insecure, writes UCT’s Prof Ralph Hamann.
03 Jul 2020 - 6 min read RepublishedThe Covid-19 crisis has reinforced the global consequences of fragmented, inadequate and inequitable healthcare systems and the damage caused by hesitant and poorly communicated responses.
24 Jun 2020 - >10 min read OpinionOur scientists must not practise in isolation, but be encouraged to be creative and increase our knowledge of the needs of developing economies, write Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, vice-chancellor of UCT, and Professor Thokozani Majozi from the University of the Witwatersrand.
09 Jun 2020 - 6 min read RepublishedSouth Africa has been recognised globally for its success in flattening the curve, which came as a result of President Ramaphosa responding quickly to the crisis, writes Prof Alan Hirsch.
28 Apr 2020 - 6 min read RepublishedIn an email to the UCT community, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said:
“COVID-19, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, is a rapidly changing epidemic. [...] Information [...] will be updated as and when new information becomes available.”
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.