Already at an increased risk of serious COVID-19 illness, older persons in poor communities face an additional set of difficulties in staying safe and healthy. Siyabonga Kamnqa spoke to older people, experts, civil society organisations and government authorities on what can be done to protect older people.
While COVID-19 infections and deaths are rising among those older than 60 years, residential care facilities battle to keep residents safe. Elri Voigt investigates how care facilities are responding, whether they are getting the support they need from government and if the data on the situation in care homes provides a reliable picture.
A residential facility for older persons in the Western Cape this week recorded a COVID-19 related death, while a number of new infections were reported at another facility in the province. Elri Voigt asks whether everything is in place to protect our older persons from the expected surge in COVID-19 cases.