WESTERN CAPE NEWS - The rapid growth of COVID-19 infections in South Africa is a cause of very serious concern for me and the Western Cape Government, especially after the news that the more transmissible Delta variant is beginning to dominate in some parts of the country.
It is also of serious concern to us that the Alert Level 4 restrictions introduced to curb this spread will undoubtedly wield a devastating blow to our economy, which relies heavily on the hospitality and agri-processing sectors.
Many people, and especially poorer people, will lose their jobs in the Western Cape as a result of these restrictions.
This is an altogether horrific situation that will see both lives and livelihoods lost - something that we, and many residents in our province, have worked hard to prevent.
The Western Cape Government has been closely monitoring the growth of cases during the third wave, as well as its impact on our health platform.
We have already introduced a trigger system that allows for immediate interventions to ensure we always have enough beds, oxygen and staff to care for every person who needs it.
According to our existing projections and detailed advanced planning, we continue to have the capacity to respond.
However, the recent announcement that the Delta variant, which spreads quicker and which therefore poses a greater risk to our health system, is likely to dominate means we must go back to our plans and confirm that our existing trigger system remains effective.
We will therefore be meeting with our public health experts and epidemiologists, whose expert advice will guide us on what immediate further steps must be taken to safeguard our health-platform and to save lives.
The Western Cape Government will also continue with its policy approach of saving both lives and livelihoods during this pandemic, and for arguing for a common-sense, differentiated approach using scientific data and evidence.
This balance is essential, because job losses impact our vulnerable communities the most, and will cost lives too.
We will therefore request that the national government provide urgent financial support to those businesses impacted by these restrictions. It is not fair for the government to shift the burden to our mainly small businesses especially when restrictions are imposed.
There must be support for businesses affected by these restrictions to ensure that they survive, and that job losses are averted.
Finally, the Western Cape Government is ready and able to scale-up life-saving vaccinations beyond 120 000 vaccinations a week, and we are preparing mega vaccination sites to do so. We are going as quickly as we can, using up all stocks provided to us in a fair and equitable way.
We however need more vaccines to ramp this programme up further. We therefore call for a rapid increase in the supplies of vaccines so that we reach the level of vaccinations required to flatten the curve. We also call for global manufacturers to reconsider their position of not supplying to sub-national entities.
We have the budget and the processes in place, and we remain ready to procure additional vaccines.
I urge residents in the Western Cape to take this surge in COVID-19 cases seriously. We desperately need your help to flatten the curve and save lives, by practising the life-saving behaviours that we have learnt over the last 15 months. You have the power to slow the spread in the weeks ahead.
Please:
- Wear a mask, covering your nose and mouth
- Avoid the 3Cs of crowded places, confined spaces and close contact
- Avoid social gatherings
- Ensure you have good ventilation, as COVID-19 is spread through the air
- If you are travelling in public transport, please open the windows
- Stay home if you are feeling sick, but seek medical help if you are battling to breath
- Wash and sanitise your hands regularly, as well as clean shared surfaces
Let’s stay safe, flatten the curve, and get our province moving forward, together.
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