NATIONAL NEWS - The Klein Karoo National Arts Festival in Oudtshoorn will not continue as planned from 23 to 29 March 2020. 

According to a statement issued by the festival organisers, the management and board have made this decision in light of growing concerns about the spread of Covid-19 (new coronavirus).

"The decision was not taken lightly and was preceded by in-depth consultation with the main sponsor, Absa, the respective national and local authorities, partners and other stakeholders," said Hugo Theart, artistic director of the festival.

"It is in the public interest of everyone involved in the festival – artists, business partners, visitors and residents of Oudtshoorn – that we made this difficult decision."

The statement quotes Crispin Sonn, chairman of the board, saying the festival has been an important date on the South African cultural calendar for the past 25 years and has had a major financial and social impact on the Oudtshoorn community.

"However, the increasing severity of the Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to make this decision.”

According to the statement, "Several possibilities are on the table. The outcome will be determined by guidelines from the national government, and the extent to which the Covid-19 pandemic develops internationally. All stakeholders from the various sectors affected by this decision – artists, festival goers who have already purchased tickets, suppliers, and other partners – will be informed of the road ahead as soon as possible."

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) said it has revised its 2020 prospects for international tourist arrivals to a negative growth of 1% to 3% which would amount to an estimated loss of US$ 30 to 50 billion in international tourism revenue. 

"Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, UNWTO predicted a positive growth of 3% to 4% for this year. This first assessment expects that Asia and the Pacific will be the worst affected region, with an anticipated fall in arrivals of 9% to 12%. Estimates for other world regions are currently premature in view of the rapidly evolving situation," it said.

In South Africa, the Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane has warned that the outbreak of the Coronavirus has already affected the tourism industry negatively, according to a statement issued by the government news agency earlier this week.

“Despite the fact we have had very few cases of the virus, the local tourism industry has already suffered serious losses."

She said the impact of the virus could lead to closure of businesses and severe job losses. Kubayi-Ngubane said to mitigate the potential negative impact on businesses and jobs, government will work with all stakeholders to implement measures that will assist to bring relief to affected businesses and individuals.

“The longer these restrictions continue, the hardest hit part of the value chain will be the core industries which include accommodation, food and beverage services, recreation and entertainment, transportation and travel service."

She said government will engage treasury to assist businesses in distress to access the employment incentives that have been put in place and will negotiate with various meeting and events owners to postpone to future dates based on scenarios to minimise cancellations.

NICD: Covid-19 cases escalate to 38
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said in a statement that as of 14 March, 14 new imported Covid-19 cases have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of Covid-19 positive cases to 38.

It said the 14 newly added cases are spread across four provinces, Gauteng Province being the most affected to date.

In Gauteng Province, a 72-year-old female travelled to the USA and the UK, a 76-year-old male travelled to the USA and UK, a 52-year old male travelled to Germany, a 38-year-old male travelled to Switzerland and Germany, a 47-year-old male travelled to Switzerland, a 33-year-old female travelled to France, and a 27-year-old male is with pending travel history.

In the Western Cape Province there are six new cases. A 47-year-old male travelled to the USA and the UK, a 62-year-old male travelled to the Netherlands, a 19-year-old female travelled to France and Italy, a 14-year-old female travelled to the USA and Dubai, a 73-year-old male travelled to the UK and a 32-year-old male travelled to the UK.

Only one additional case was identified for the KwaZulu-Natal Province, a 49-year-old male who travelled to France and Italy.

The total provincial break down of COVID-19 cases to date is as follows:

• · Gauteng: 17
• · KwaZulu-Natal: 11
• · Western Cape: 9
• · Mpumalanga: 1

The NICD said in its efforts to expand and streamline testing for Covid-19, it has decided that doctors do not need to contact the NICD for approval as long as they apply the case definition before testing.

"The NICD will test the submitted samples as long as the required supporting documents accompany the sample which is available on the NICD website."

'We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news'