Premier tightens up regulations

Lolo Madonsela

Following the continuous increase in the number of deaths in the province, Premier Sihle Zikalala announced plans on Sunday to further tighten the Covid-19 regulations.
The province is in the top three regarding the number of infections, sitting at 587 cases as at April 17, with the highest number of deaths, sitting at 21 out 51 deaths in the country.
The district’s positive cases, as announced by Zikalala, showed that Harry Gwala only had one positive case, while Zululand and Umzinyathi had two positive cases respectively.
Ethekwini District sat with the highest number of positive cases, a whopping total of 383 cases; followed by Umgungundlovu with 46 cases, Ilembe with 26 cases, UMkhanyakude with 21 cases, uThukela with 19 cases, Ugu with 15 cases, and King Cetshwayo with 11 cases.
According to Zikalala, there were three unallocated patients who were discovered in the private sector and may be from other provinces. He said this was an indication that all was not well and that, “We need to take urgent and drastic action because we are at risk of losing this battle if we behave as if all is normal,” he said.
“This new emerging trend is indicative of the fact that too many people and some institutions are not adhering to the lockdown regulations. Indeed, when we conduct monitoring and assessments in parts of the Durban CBD and in some of our townships and suburbs, you see a very high number of cars on the road, as well as pedestrians. You then begin to question whether all of these people have ventured out of their homes due to emergencies or to get food supplies, in line with the regulations of the lockdown,” said Zikalala.

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He said these emerging trends warranted urgent decisive action that included intensified lockdown for the eThekwini District. Zikalala stated that the Provincial Command Council have decided to, “Implement an intensified lockdown for the eThekwini District. We have issued a directive to our law enforcement authorities to apply the law in its strictest form and make sure there are no compromises. We want to make sure that the violation of the lockdown by the people who are supposed to be at home is met with concomitant punishment, as set out by the law.”
On the intervention plan, Zikalala said, “Our stringent intervention strategy to arrest the spread of Covid-19 in line with this new approach will be informed by sweeping door-to-door screening, removal of infectious sources to specified isolation sites, setting up testing and screening booths in areas of major movement (malls, transport routes / taxi ranks), adjustment and intensification of community containment interventions, and an informal settlements sanitization programme.” He added that, “In eThekwini, we will with immediate effect intensify multi-disciplinary lockdown enforcement operations that include: SAPS, Metro Police, SANDF, Department of Transport and Department of Health. This will include the following operational concepts to vigorously ensure compliance with the Disaster Management Act: roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints and movement checks of persons even in high commuter areas. In conclusion, Zikalala urged citizens to do their part to make a difference.
“We wish to once again plead with our people to stay at home and respect the law. We need our fellow compatriots to understand that this lockdown and the strict application thereof is for their own safety.”

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