Ekurhuleni has 825 Covid-19 infections and 12 deaths

Published Jun 3, 2020

Share

The City of Ekurhuleni has a total of 825 Covid-19 cases and 12 deaths as of Wednesday morning, mayor Mzwandile Masina said. 

Briefing the virtual meeting of the cooperative governance and traditional affairs portfolio committee on Covid-19 response, Masina said there were 536 recoveries and 289 active cases.

"We have 12 people who died as a result of Covid-19," he said. 

Masina told the MPs that more than 1.4 million people have been screened and 18 725 tested to date.

He said all 93 clinics were operational and there were cases identified in facilities such as Duduza and Vosloorus.

Two quarantine sites were established at the Transnet School of Excellence in Esselen Park, with 400 beds, and the Telkom Training Academy, with 91 beds.

There were 300 additional beds and three operational shelters for the homeless.

Responding to a question, the mayor said there was a need for a strategy to sustain the shelters for the homeless.

"We have to come up with a mechanism to mitigate against what you raise," he said.

Masina said all 119 informal settlements had 1 511 standpipes before the outbreak of.the pandemic. A total of 187 water tanks were installed and 37 extra standpipes were also installed.

The mayor also said there were also chemical toilets, without mentioning how many, with each servicing five families.

Masina told MPs the city provided employees with personal protective equipment and 1 000 intra-red thermometers were procured for all 683 buildings. 

He also said a food bank was established in April and "no municipal funds are utilised in this process".

The city has received donations worth R8.2m, with 25 680 food parcels distributed and 12 800 residents reached. 

"The need is more. Our people are hungry," he said.

Masina said they were working with all parties to distribute food parcels to ensure fair distribution.

The city has contributed R1 032 000 towards the Solidarity Fund after the mayoral committee and top management decided to contribute a third of their salary for three months.

The mayor said the city's law enforcement was fully operational and made 1 595 arrests for contravention of regulations and issued 2 290 Covid-19-related fines as at May 31.

A total of 6287 applications for temporary traders permits were received, with 3 889 being approved and 2402 rejected because of non-compliance with the Immigration Act and insufficient documents. 

Masina said as at May 24 a total of 49 361 taxis were disinfected, 219 buses and 50 taxi ranks.

Preparations were under way for scholar transport and there were engagements with Prasa on its readiness.

Political Bureau

Related Topics: