Cape Town - The South African Youth Council (SAYC) in the Western Cape has urged the authorities to use the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) as a quarantine facility for people testing positive for the coronavirus (Covid-19), and to close down the controversial temporary shelter for homeless people in Strandfontein.
The latest statistics showed the Western Cape recording the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases, the SAYC, a non-partisan youth representative body in civil society, said in a statement on Saturday.
"Most importantly, it's a call for every citizen to adhere to the lockdown regulations and, both individually and collectively, play their part in flattening the curve. We welcome the additional R16.2 million funding to local government and commend the rigorous screening and testing the Western Cape provincial government has been engaged in. These efforts need a to be complimented by unmatched human behaviour and adherence to the lockdown regulations," the SAYC said.
The recent announcement by national government of the "compulsory" use of face masks to cover the mouth and nose in public areas would have a positive impact on curbing the spread of the virus.
"However, it stands to have very little impact if there's no provision of cloth masks to the public. Against this background, we call for part of the additional funding to be allocated to provide locally manufactured cloth masks to the public and for this to he coordinated at the local government level," the SAYC said.
Noting the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) report on the Strandfontein site for the homeless in Cape Town, the SAYC called for the immediate closure of the site.
"We propose alternative accommodation of the homeless people in various buildings owned by the city, taking into account the number each can accommodate to avoid transmission and overcrowding."
The dramatic increase in confirmed cases in the Western Cape made the province the epicenter of the Covid-19 crisis and this would eventually result in the need for more quarantine space.
"In response to this, we particularly call on the City of Cape Town municipality to provide the CTICC as a quarantine site due to its capacity.
"The SAYC in the Western Cape, as part of the National Economic Development and Labour Council's (NEDLAC) community constituency Covid-19 front, commits to any collaborative efforts, and is coordinating a young contingent of volunteers to work with the provincial department of health in response to the pandemic," the council said.
African News Agency (ANA)
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