COVID-19 INFORMATION 

In the words of our President: “We are only at the beginning of a monumental struggle that demands our every resource and our every effort. We cannot relax. We cannot be complacent. In the coming weeks and months, we must massively increase the extent of our response and expand the reach of our interventions.”

In light of this most recent address, I want to urge all of you to remain cooperative with the regulations and guidelines that have been shared. All over South Africa people are unable to work, unable to earn an income, in industries that require less social contact and risk than the one we find ourselves in.

Course of action

Telemedicine is proving to be a valuable resource for therapists in South Africa and around the world. If you have not yet explored this option, it is a wise idea to do so, as it is the only way to continue to support our clients and patients with no risk of impacting the current Coronavirus situation, as well as continuing to make an income.

When interpreting what an essential service is, and whether or not to consider an intervention as an essential service, please consider the following points:

• Paragraph 6: Emergency Veterinary Services, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery COVID-19 contingency plan for the Lockdown: In order to ensure that animals, as sentient beings, are taken care of, provision for essential emergency veterinary services is critical for the duration of the lockdown. Emergency veterinary services are to be limited to emergency medical and surgical procedures that cannot be suspended, and includes diagnostics and treatment of sick animals. All veterinary services that can be suspended and rescheduled until after the lifting of the lockdown are excluded from being regarded as essential veterinary services. The criteria for the veterinary and para-veterinary professional to determine the inclusion or exclusion into this category is to determine whether the delay in providing veterinary intervention until the lifting of the lockdown will compromise the health and welfare of the animal or the public.
• Only emergency veterinary services, including para-veterinary services, such a veterinary physiotherapy, may be rendered. If a service can stand over until the end of the lockdown period, it should. The intention is that only life-saving emergency services may be rendered.

Key points to note from the SAVC, as pertaining to Veterinarians and as are applicable to Veterinary Physiotherapy:

• The spirit and intention of providing veterinary services as an essential service during lockdown period is that such services be provided on a limited and controlled basis, and strictly if and when necessary. 
• If any visit or consultation has the potential to further worsen and unjustifiably put other persons at risk regarding the current Covid-19 situation in the country, then such visit/consultation should be postponed or cancelled. 
• The country is in a state of disaster and lockdown and veterinary professionals are expected to act responsibly and exercise restraint & care through minimising unnecessary movement and physical interactions that could worsen the current Covid-19 situation. This is despite the true financial challenges that veterinarians and para-veterinarians may experience due to the lockdown.

SAAPRA highly recommends that you treat patients by direct Veterinary referral only, and that for each individual case you apply your professional and clinical reasoning skills to determine whether you will be able to minimize or nullify the risk of transmission to an acceptable level before agreeing to the treatment of a patient.

In order to treat a patient or travel for work purposes, you will need to be in possession of a letter of essential services from the SAVC, a work permit, as well as your ID document.

Government Gazette 18 March COVID-19 Regulation

Government Gazette 25 March COVID-19 Amendment of regulations

Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery COVID-19 contingency plan for the Lockdown

Work Permit

Visit the SAVA website for additional, extensive resources. 

Visit the IVPD website for additional information on TERS and UIF claims