[imagesource: Gallo Images / The Times / Moeletsi Mabe]

UPDATE: All Matric Rage events have been postponed until further notice – more here.

Here’s our post from earlier this morning…

Oh no – if only somebody could have seen this coming.

Hold up – it turns out that the warning signs were there well in advance, with multiple health experts speaking about the high probability that Matric Rage parties this year would turn into COVID-19 super-spreader events.

A number of party dates were pushed back, due in part to pupils finishing their exams later than in a normal year, but those jols that have gone ahead have already done some damage.

This statement was released yesterday by the health department:

Well, if finally happened… Rage events in Plett, Joburg, Balito and Jeffreys Bay have been classified as super spreader events. The health department is now asking attendees to self isolate for 10 days. #covid19SA pic.twitter.com/Wrjpdv9EJu

— Laura Lopez Gonzalez (@LLopezGonzalez) December 6, 2020

It should be noted that whatever parties went on in Plett, Joburg, and Jeffreys Bay were not the official Rage events, and the Jozi dates listed above have yet to take place.

More from TimesLIVE:

Health minister Zweli Mkhize on Sunday called on all those who attended matric rage parties across the country to immediately go into a 10-day quarantine period…

“While government makes an effort to contain this virus, we now plead with all parents to also exercise their parental prerogative and set boundaries on activities that their children [specifically the youth] can participate in.”

A doctor in the Upper Highway area west of Durban, Dr Kamz Govender, released a statement on Facebook, outlining just how overwhelming the situation is for those in the medical fraternity:

Speaking with News24, Govender said that at his practice alone, 20 patients tested positive for COVID-19 in under 48 hours, all of whom were teenagers or young adults who had either attended, or had friends who had attended, Rage Festival events in Ballito.

In response to the Ballito party being labelled a super-spreader event, organisers have halted ticket sales for the official Plettenberg Bay party.

This statement was released on Facebook:

Organisers also confirmed to News24 that four staff members who worked at the Ballito event had tested positive for COVID-19.

I can definitely sympathise with matric pupils who have had to endure a hellish year, made worse by the fact that many will have to rewrite Maths Paper 2 and Physical Science Paper 2 due to leaks.

But the idea of attending a potential super-spreader event, and then returning home for festive season gatherings with relatives who may fall into the high-risk category, could be considered reckless.

[sources:timeslive&facebook&news24&news24]