Media Release: “Communities should champion the containment of COVID-19”

For Immediate Release
7 December 2020

These are the words of Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize, who visited the Garden Route District Municipality on 5 December 2020. Dr Mkhize visited the district to touch base with some of the most critical role players involved in the Garden Route District COVID-19 response. He also said that it is important to understand the nature of the problem of why the COVID-19 numbers are climbing in the Garden Route. He referred to the Garden Route as part of a “belt” along the coast of South Africa, adjacent to other areas of huge concern, including Sarah Baartman District Municipality and Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality.

Dr Mkhize made it clear that issues presented to him will be discussed with the Coronavirus Command Council, who will subsequently consider issuing further restrictions. He made it clear that the intent of National Government has always been to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and lessen the pressure on hospitals. He also urged Alderman Memory Booysen, Executive Mayor for GRDM, to identify issues that all municipalities agree upon and communicate such recommendations to his office.

The enforcement of Covid-19 related Disaster Regulations is still an issue facing all municipalities. GRDM has already implemented a training programme for the deployment of additional law enforcement officers to assist local municipalities with COVID-19 related enforcement.

Representatives from the health sector echoed the sentiment that higher levels of trauma are again experienced at hospitals since restrictions on the sale of alcohol and curfews were lifted. “At the moment it seems that such admissions are back at what it was at a pre-COVID-19 level,” said Michael Vonk, CEO for George Hospital.

Dr Terrence Marshall, who is responsible for leading the Garden Route Command Centre’s health response, stated that hospitals are under sustained pressure. “We have specific strengths in our district, which include the competence, ability and motivation of our people,” he said. “Our staff is resilient and we shall continue to do what we have to do.”

Dr Marshall praised the inter-sectoral cooperation, which has been the cornerstone of the coordinated response by the region’s various clusters that report to the Garden Route Command Centre on a weekly basis. “Our systems are in place, there is no doubt about that; the systems are working well,” Marshall said. He shared his concerns about the extent of what the near future may hold due to the fast approaching holiday season, accompanied by many visitors to the district from various parts of the country. “We need to carefully consider how to manage the situation going forward,” Marshall concluded.

After listening to all the presentations by executive mayors, the health sector and GRDM Disaster Management, Dr Mkhize commended stakeholders on the coordinated and combined approach to curb the spread of COVID-19. “One of the most important factors, for me, is the attitudes of cooperation I see here today.” He also welcomed any further ideas from the Garden Route that could be emulated in the rest of the country.

Minister Mkhize stated that he is of the firm belief that it is possible for the region to prevail over the current COVID-19 outbreak. “I am optimistic about the Garden Route’s ability to recover,” he said, while not specifically mentioning which other districts do not have structures and effective combined approaches in place like the Garden Route. He urged stakeholders to engage at a community-level to ensure that civil society, labour and communities at large fully understand their role in curbing COVID-19. “A unified message about COVID-19 and the importance of how to prevent the spread must be promoted by mayors and influencers,” he said.

He also highlighted the following:

• we can’t afford higher numbers and we must intervene to ensure that our health system is not overrun;
• a vaccine will take a couple of months to reach South Africa and it is therefore not an immediate local solution;
• the festive season is a concern as it might represent a resurgence in COVID-19 infections;
• the surge of infections coincided with the lifting of the restriction of movement;
• monitoring of COVID-19 is far more accurate, why it is possible to single out districts that face issues of rising active cases;
• National Government is in favour of a risk-adjusted response per area as risks are not the same in all areas;
• available beds at health facilities in the Garden Route is becoming an issue, as experienced in other parts of the country;
• healthcare workers all over the country are experts in how to deal with COVID-19 as they’ve dealt with a surge in COVID-19 cases before;
• the fear of COVID-19 has subsided amongst many healthcare workers because of their knowledge and experience, but psychosocial needs must also be attended to;
• he highlighted the benefits of the newly rolled out antigen testing which speeds up tests;
• alcohol-related trauma is still an issue that places additional strain on the entire healthcare system. He explained that those admitted because of diabetes, cancer or other illnesses are placed second in line because of alcohol-related emergency admissions. Those admitted for such admissions were either stabbed or injured in a motor vehicle accident related to intoxication;
• he welcomed proposals by stakeholders to promote the responsible consumption of alcohol by considering a reduction in trading hours and hours of onsite consumption. Dr Mkhize said that such a decision would have to be carefully balanced with the industry’s revenue, as alcohol sales increase by 25-30% during the December holidays and businesses must recover;
• on the issue of border control between the Eastern and Western Cape, he used the example of Limpopo where it did not work, saying that the issue must be discussed further;
• he agreed that law enforcement needs to be bumped up and, where possible, by-laws should be utilised;
• he requested more discussions surrounding the influx of tourists from all over South Africa to the region’s coast and how congestion would be managed be held;
• the queues at pay points remain a problem and better solutions must be sought to lower the congestion at these sites; and
• initiation season remains suspended because of COVID-19. Dr Mkhize said those not abiding by the law should be charged accordingly.

Feature image caption 1: National Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize; Executive Mayor for Garden Route District Municipality, Alderman Memory Booysen; Western Cape Government MEC for Health, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo; and Western Cape Government MEC for Human Settlements, Mr Tertuis Simmers.

More photos f the day:

ENDS