Cape Town – The City of Cape Town's Health Department, and other departments, have visited various establishments within the metro to ensure compliance with Covid-19 regulations.
The City have visited shopping malls, food premises, flea markets, pharmacies and funeral undertakers to highlight concerns about Covid-19 non-compliance at many of these places.
“Cape Town remains a hotspot, but the good news is we're seeing a slow decrease in the number of new cases and admissions to hospitals. Although the numbers are still high, admissions are easing. This slow decline in cases is being seen across all sub-districts,” said Mayco Member for Community Services and Health, Zahid Badroodien.
“We have not yet seen a decrease in the number of burials at our cemeteries and while non-compliance is rife in many instances, we have to commend the many funeral undertakers who are doing their part to ensure adherence to the regulations. As the case load diminishes, the burial figure should show a similar trend in the weeks to come.”
The focus of inspections during the last week was to ensure compliance and it included restaurants, shopping centres and other premises where large numbers of people are likely to congregate.
“Our inspectors also follow up on complaints from members of the public about the lack physical distancing and overcrowding at public places, especially over weekends when people are out and about.
“Staying at home is not easy and it has been taxing on us all. While we understand residents suffer from cabin fever and need to get fresh air, I want to urge them to remain watchful. The City is doing its part to fight the pandemic and we need the assistance of all our residents if we're going to beat it,” said Badroodien.
The City advised residents to stay home if they can and to leave only for essential shopping or health visits, or to go to work, as well as abide by the current disaster management regulations which prohibit social gatherings.
The City said it was important and a requirement that residents wore a mask at all times when in public and maintained a distance of at least 1.5 metres from others at all times.
“City Health is hard at work preparing the logistics, supply chain management and implementation plan for Phase 1 of the vaccine roll out plan. The first shipment of vaccines is expected within the next few weeks and we may call on some of our other departments to aid in this,” said Badroodien.
The City added it was working in close collaboration with the Western Cape government’s Department of Environmental Affairs to ensure Maitland crematorium was able to increase capacity for cremation at the facility, and that all available cremators could be utilised during this disaster period.
In the last week, City cemeteries had facilitated 696 burials of which 173 were confirmed Covid-19 burials.
Of these burials, 198 took place at Maitland cemetery, 134 at Welmoed and 124 at Klip Road Cemetery in Grassy Park.
Mourners are advised of the conditions that must be adhered to when attending burials at City cemeteries (the use of cemeteries is limited to burials only):
- Consider weekday burials and alternative burial methods.
- Limit funeral and graveside attendance to 50 people.
- Firearms, amplified music and drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited.
- Limit burial services to 30 minutes.
- Strictly adhere to Covid-19 protocols (social distancing, wearing masks, hand sanitising/hand washing).
- Stay home if they feel unwell or have been exposed to a Covid-positive individual.
- No unveiling and consecration ceremonies are allowed.
- Memorial work can only be done during the week with a Memorial Permit.
Cape Argus