Author: The Free Stater
The Free Stater
Breaking news and more
The man who posted a fake video relating to COVID-19, claiming testing kits are possibly contaminated, has been arrested. Police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said the 55-year-old man was expected to appear in court on Tuesday following his arrest on Monday by police from Parow police station in Cape Town. “The arrest relates to a video disseminated through various social media platforms purporting contamination of COVID-19 test kits,” Peters said. In the Facebook video, which has been widely distributed on social media, a man calls on South Africans to refuse COVID-19 testing. With a cotton bud stuck up his nose,…
Staff Reporter Fruit and vegetable vendors will now be permitted to operate following the amendments to South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdown regulations, which now allow for informal food trading. The informal traders will however require written permission from municipalities for them to be able to operate. Following this relaxation of the lockdown restrictions – imposed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 or the coronavirus – the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality is now inviting informal traders within its jurisdiction to apply for the special operating permits. According to the municipality, which governs Bloemfontein and surrounding towns…
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been taken to intensive care after his coronavirus symptoms worsened. Johnson had been in St Thomas’ Hospital in central London for tests and observation, but his doctors advised he be admitted to intensive care after he experienced breathing difficulties. The UK prime minister is said to be still conscious, but was moved to an ICU at 7pm on Monday in case he needed a ventilator. He had been admitted to hospital on Sunday after his coronavirus symptoms persisted for 10 days. A spokesman for Johnson said: “Since Sunday evening, the prime minister has been…
The Gourmand What’s beef? Beef is when you need two gats to go to sleep Beef is when your moms ain’t safe up in the streets Beef is when I see you Guaranteed to be an ICU (I see you) one more time What’s beef? THAT’S the American rap legend B.I.G for you there! Listening to music while cooking always makes the culinary arts more enjoyable. From the slow-paced to the high-tempo genres, it’s all suitable for the kitchen. That’s how to a certain extent I got hooked to hip-hop: jamming hit after hit while busy chopping celery and…
Reviewed by Simon Abrams Title: Escape from Pretoria Type: Action thriller Director: Francis Annan Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter Running time: 105 minutes Release date: March 6 2020 The slightly political prison thriller Escape from Pretoria works best when onscreen action is focused on Daniel Radcliffe, playing real-life South African political prisoner Tim Jenkin, as he leads a crack team of white prisoners in breaking out of Pretoria Maximum Security Prison. That’s not really a spoiler, since Escape from Pretoria is based on a real-life prison break that led to a…
Staff Reporter A man who worked as a driver at a lodge that housed five international guests who attended a religious conference at the Divine Restoration Ministries in Bloemfontein has died from COVID-19. He is the second person in the Free State to succumb to the disease. The five guests were isolated after showing symptoms before they tested positive for the coronavirus. Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela, who announced the death during a media briefing in Welkom, said it was believed the driver had suffered a recurrence of the disease. “He got screened on the 20th of March,” she said.…
Staff Reporter Premier Sisi Ntombela has made an impassioned plea to the residents of the Free State to stay at home as authorities battle to contain the spread of COVID-19 which has since claimed one life in the province. “In the Free Sate, we have 86 people that have tested positive,” Ntombela said during a media briefing at the Universitas Academic Hospital on Thursday night. “And out of the 86, about 77 of them are from Mangaung, particularly Bloemfontein, and it’s 14 days to go. So, I just want to appeal to our people, especially in Bloemfontein, please stay at…
Staff Reporter Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has warned people to be cautious and exercise good hygienic standards and minimise the risk of contracting COVID-19 because the disease is real and not selective. “COVID-19 is real, coronavirus is real,” said Mkhize when he addressed the media this Thursday at Twin City Mall in Heidedal, Bloemfontein, where he visited one of the designated mass screening sites in the city. “It does affect people . . . but we can defeat it. You need to listen to the guidelines that you are given. You must listen to what is being said as the…
Staff Reporter The remains of people who succumb to COVID-19 may not be taken home for overnight vigils, any form of rituals or body viewing as they are considered highly hazardous, the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality has said. Municipal spokesperson Qondile Khedama said the local authority had also directed such remains should be transported under strict supervision from the mortuary straight to the cemetery on the day of burial. “The human remains of COVID-19 deaths are considered contagious and should be kept only in designated health facilities’ mortuaries,” he said in a statement which lists a host of stringent measures to…
Staff Reporter The Free State province has recorded two more cases of COVID-19 to bring the province’s tally to 76. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said South Africa now has a total of 1 380 confirmed coronavirus cases following an increase of 27 from Tuesday’s figure. “About 44 202 people have been tested (nationally) largely in private laboratories and just over 6 000 performed in public health (National Health Laboratory Service),” he said. The minister made the announcement when he unveiled 60 mobile sampling and testing units for the coronavirus in Johannesburg this Wednesday evening. The units are set to be…