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People attending gatherings will be required to sign an attendance register which could later be used to help them.
According to the North West Health MEC, Madoda Sambatha, signing the register at events or gatherings such as weddings or funerals could save lives and curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
Sambatha said it was through these registers that people could be later be traced in a case there were suspected infections.
He urged the hosts and organisers of events to ensure the registers were signed.
“This is not because we want to know who was there but because it will help us to track down everyone who was there and give them the necessary support in case one of them feels unwell later. We will then have to get everyone, check or even test them where needed,” he said.
“Through our monitoring system, we would use the same attendance registers to follow up with those who were there to check if they are well. If you did not fill in the attendance register, you may not be found and not get the necessary help on time. This will not help us in our effort to curb the spread of the virus.”
Addressing the media in Mahikeng on Friday, North West Premier Job Mokgoro said organisers of a “funerals, a wedding or any gathering, with effect from this week until when the disaster declaration is reviewed, must report to a ward councillor, community health worker, social workers, clinic committee or hospital board and community development workers three to 14 days prior to the event.
There should be proper recording of attendees and submitted within three days to the same authority as above.”
Sambatha, who is the convener of the North West Covid-19 team comprising of six MECs appointed by Mokgoro, also reiterated the call for gatherings not to be more than 100 people.
Mokgoro said on Friday the task team was established “to manage our Covid-19 preventative measures on a day-to-day, hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute basis with immediate effect”.
Sambatha urged the public to “take seriously everything that is in line with the drastic measures as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa to manage the outbreak, protect citizens and reduce the impact of the virus on our society and economy”.
“We are saying no more than 100 people but 100 or less does not mean that you are safe. There is a need to still maintain a safe social space and for organisers to ensure availability of sufficient sanitisers for all in attendance,” he said.
Read: Covid-19: Ramaphosa announces ‘urgent, drastic’ measures
Sambatha warned that it was important for organisers and hosts to keep the numbers of 100 people or less.
“A gathering exceeding that number would be illegal but it should still be ensured that even if the number exceeds, everyone is in the attendance register. They would be liable for the extra people when there are problems and at the time we are only looking for 100 people or less but the reality is that we need to trace everyone and help them while preventing any further infections at the same time,” he said.
STOCK OUT CHALLENGES
Sambatha said they were aware of shortages of necessities such as hand sanitisers and masks, adding that they were working hard to prevent the same within government institutions and service delivery points. He said the “world was never ready for the outbreak and the situation is worsened by those who are expecting to make super profits out of the situation”.
“We’re in a rush to stock up for offices and health facilities. Our challenge is that through a transversal tender facilitated by national treasury we will only receive our first delivery in three weeks,” Sambatha said.
“We’ve activated that option while simultaneously looking into another one where we have made invites for expression of interest from suppliers or manufacturers who still have stock and we will be able to pay on delivery. This could see us get first delivery within 14 days.”
He said this would also enable them to test the market and see what was available and at what cost.
Meanwhile, Mokgoro said his province, working with Gauteng, was “in the process if finalising the creation of an app, which will be free for the public to download and will have little effect on data when used”.
“We are collaborating with office of the premier in Gauteng on this geographic information system app and have made it available to them as we agree with the president that this calls for all of us to collectively work together to fight the spread of Covid-19,” he said.
The app would be used to monitor gatherings and by health facilities to order supplies.
Informal workers demand sanitisers and masks
A group of informal workers – from waster pickers, fishermen, community health workers, those in public transport to informal traders – have appealed for assistance to help them curb the spread of the virus in their working space.
In a statement on Friday, the group which include the self-employed, asked government to help them in the face of the global health outbreak.
- Protective masks and gloves for all informal workers, especially those working with members of the public, organic and waste materials and vendors;
- Water, soap and sanitisers in public spaces, especially where we work; and
- Health guidelines for different sectors of the informal economy.
“We are doing what we can to implement government’s advice on good hygiene practices, but without such interventions it is almost impossible. We expect to be directly consulted about the implementation of such interventions so that the right people in the right places are reached,” the statement read.
It was signed by the SA Waste Pickers Association, SA Domestic, Services and Allied Workers Union, the African Reclaimers Organisation, SA Informal Traders Alliance, SA Public Transport Workers Union, Durban Fishermen’s Forum, Community Health Workers KwaZulu-Natal and the SA Self-Employed Women’s Association.
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