Campus announcements
National COVID-19 lockdown and other updates
01 April 2020 | Campus AnnouncementDear students and colleagues
This campus announcement aims to inform the University of Cape Town (UCT) community about recent developments relating to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
1. National lockdown
As part of efforts to minimise the spread of COVID-19, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a 21-day national lockdown which began at midnight on Thursday, 26 March 2020, and will end on Thursday, 16 April 2020. Due to the lockdown, all academic activities, including research on campus, have ceased. All students – including those who had received prior approval to stay – were requested to vacate UCT premises. UCT put measures in place for students who required assistance with travel arrangements.
- Read the VC Desk: UCT takes steps to support national lockdown.
- View video: VC on how UCT is responding to the new environment.
- View video: VC’s message to parents, guardians and sponsors.
- View video: VC’s message to staff and students.
2. Updates by the UCT leadership
Following the commencement of the lockdown, members of the UCT leadership have been writing to the university community to provide updates relevant to their portfolios.
The Chief Operating Officer, Dr Reno Morar, outlined UCT’s operational plan during the lockdown. Only essential staff, such as Information and Communication Technology Services, is operating on campus according to usual operating procedure. Campus Protection Services is running on skeleton staff and will maintain perimeter security only.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, Associate Professor Lis Lange, indicated that following sector consultations, universities have agreed that there will be a sector-wide date for the reopening of academic activities on 20 April. Consultation on the assessment framework for UCT’s remote teaching and learning is ongoing.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Transformation, Professor Loretta Feris, has emphasised that during this heightened period of stress and anxiety, UCT will continue to support students through, among others, Student Wellness Services, the Office for Inclusivity and Change, and the Student Financial Aid office.
- Read the COO Desk: UCT’s operational plan during COVID-19 lockdown.
- Read the DVC Desk and view video: Update on available support services.
- Read the DVC Desk: Preparing for online teaching and learning.
- Read the DVC Desk: What the new term at UCT will look like.
3. UCT confirms fifth and sixth cases
The university confirmed a fifth positive case of COVID-19 on Friday, 27 March 2020.
All individuals who tested positive immediately went into self-isolation for 14 days, and all their identified contacts went into quarantine as soon as they were traced.
Subsequent to this UCT was advised of another student testing positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, 29 March 2020 in Eswatini. The student is receiving medical support and identified contacts were traced and advised to go into quarantine.
Going forward, UCT will provide updates on confirmed cases in the university community on a weekly basis.
4. UCT’s COVID-19 feature page
Find all the latest information from UCT about COVID-19 and what the university is doing to support the fight against the pandemic. The page is regularly updated with the latest critical information.
Staff are encouraged to add the COVID-19 banner to their email signatures.
5. HSRC COVID-19 public survey
The Human Sciences Research Council launched a public survey on Friday, 27 March. The survey aims to better understand what the public knows about COVID-19, the state of readiness to deal with this global pandemic and how they feel about it. It is expected to run for three to four weeks, following which the results will be made available to identified stakeholders, the media and community members.
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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.
Read the latest document available on the UCT policies web page.
Campus communications
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 PhakengWith 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.
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.