Cape Town - Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has called for entire province to move to level 3 of the lockdown, in conjunction with its targeted hotspot plan, following President Cyril Ramaphosa's address on Wednesday night.
Winde said the Western Cape government will use the process of consultation announced by the president to make clear its position that the entire province must move down to level 3 as soon as possible, preferably before the end of May 2020.
"With our health care system prepared, it is simply no longer possible to maintain level 4 restrictions anywhere in the Western Cape or South Africa. The economic crisis caused by these restrictions has resulted in a life-threatening humanitarian disaster that will only worsen in the months ahead," he said.
"The Western Cape has adopted a data-led, evidence-based approach to our Covid-19 response, with targeted Whole-of-Government interventions in hotspots. These hotspots are not whole provinces or even districts. They are geographical areas where people live, down to street-level.
"This is the plan that we presented to the national Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize on Saturday, and which had already been adopted by our cabinet," Winde said.
"This Whole-of-Government approach uses the combined impact of our respective governments and enforcement agencies, with the single-minded goal to slow the spread and protect vulnerable groups of people who are at high risk.
"We welcome that this targeted hotspot plan has now also been adopted by national government, as revealed by the president.
"This focused effort of government, in partnership with the private sector and every person, will help us slow the spread and save lives, while still allowing more economic activity and protecting the livelihoods of especially our poor and vulnerable residents," Winde said.
In conjunction with the determined enforcement of this hotspot plan, Level 3 should be adopted for the entire Western Cape province, he said.