Are we doing enough to stop the spread of Covid-19? Polokwane residents weigh in
A few residents shared their thoughts in terms of people taking the Covid-19 pandemic seriously and whether they think the public, in general, have been responsible in adhering to lockdown regulations.
Phidiso Makwana: Lockdown rules and regulations were a bit a challenging to practice, but personally I believe that most of people managed to follow the rules. I think we as a country tried so hard to adhere by the rules. Looking at how things are back to normal and people seem to have forgotten that we are still facing this pandemic, it actually scares me that we might go back to a higher level of lockdown.
POLOKWANE – “The Coronavirus pandemic is ‘far from over’. It is still very much present and will likely remain for some time to come.”
These were the words of President Cyril Ramaphosa, during an address to the nation on 11 November where he announced that the National State of Disaster will be extended to 15 December.
Ramaphosa once again called on South Africans to wear a mask. “A cloth mask worn over the mouth and nose is one of the best defences against the spread of coronavirus. I know this can be a hassle, they can be hot, cumbersome and uncomfortable… they also make it difficult to recognise someone or hear what they are saying… but the inconvenience of wearing one is far better than getting infected or infecting others.”
With this in mind BONUS asked a few residents what their thoughts are in terms of people taking the Covid-19 pandemic seriously and whether they think the public, in general, have been responsible in adhering to lockdown regulations.
This is what they had to say:
Elizabeth Mokhudu: People are so relaxed, it’s as if we’re not under any level. People meet up at their houses, parties or even at their workplace and don’t wear a mask. This will cause the country to move to a different level until everyone adheres to these regulations. We must all try to follow the protocols and regulations so that no one feels guilty of not wearing a mask to town, school or work.Simphiwe Mdlalose: I think the behaviour of people has been a mixed bag. There are those who have stuck to the regulations and there are those who have just negated the regulations. There are businesses that have had to change how they do things in order to accommodate the regulations. The implementation has been hard and at times costly to business. But it had to be done in order to save lives. We have lost close to 20 000 people to Covid-19 and yet some people are behaving like this pandemic is ‘gone.’Emma Akoto: I don’t think we will go back to a higer level any time soon. I feel South Africans are more relaxed under lockdown level 1. I believe people have been ignorant, especially around family and friends, not taking precautionary measures seriously, especially when they host events or functions. If cases increase, government will have to reconsider taking us back to a higher level because it will be riskier. Another issue is wearing a mask in this extreme heat. As a new mother, I’m also struggling to cope 24 hours with a mask in this climate.Dr Sizwe Mbili: I think people have been responsible, but it could have been better through more adherence to mask wearing and social distancing, especially in crowded public areas such as malls. The restrictions are already pretty relaxed at level 1. I suspect we will move to no restrictions, perhaps in the next month or so. The outbreak seems to be under as much control as possible. Though we still need to maintain social distancing, sanitising and mask wearing at all times.
