From the Chief Operating Officer
How to help another student with a mobile data bundle from UCT
28 April 2020 | Dr Reno Morar, COO
Dear students
As Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng announced last week, the University of Cape Town (UCT) is providing data bundles for all students who have a valid South African mobile number recorded in PeopleSoft. If you need a data bundle and have not updated PeopleSoft with your South African mobile number, please do so now.
- Read the announcement about data bundles.
- Update PeopleSoft immediately with your South African mobile number.
These data bundles do come at a cost to UCT and they are valid for only 30 days. However, we face the strong possibility that online learning will need to continue beyond that 30-day period.
We are aware that some of you already have adequate internet access at home to study effectively. This is based on the survey UCT students recently completed. I am writing to ask those of you who have sufficient internet access to consider opting out of receiving a data bundle so that we can focus UCT resources on helping students in need.
We know that UCT students have already taken up this call. The Health Sciences Students Council and the Law Students Council have both issued similar appeals to students across their respective faculties. Each of those initiatives uses a different system. We applaud the compassion and solidarity that is at the heart of these appeals. It is with this spirit of social solidarity in mind that I ask you to use the “opt out” option provided below, as that will allow you to not only assist another student, but also to help the university to gauge the need across the institution so we can plan more effectively for possible future needs. To opt out, please follow the link below, navigate to the Biographic tab and select “No” under the “Mobile Data required” section.
COVID-19 has created a crisis that everybody around the world is experiencing in different ways. I am encouraged by the creative responses different members of the UCT community are making to help each other through this difficult experience. I thank you for everything you are doing to help during these times.
Sincerely
Dr Reno Morar
Chief Operating Officer
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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.