Cape Town - The Western Cape has adopted a
data-and-evidence-based approach to
its Covid-19 response with targeted
interventions in hotspots, which has
now been adopted by the government.
Premier Alan Winde, in a legislature response to Good Party member Brett Herron's opposition to his push for the province to proceed to level 3 of the lockdown, said: “These hotspots are not whole provinces or even districts. They are geographical areas where people live, down to street-level.”
Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC David Maynier said that since the start of level 4, his department had done its best to ensure that businesses across the city have received the necessary and most up-to-date information they needed to operate safely and responsibly.
Maynier added: “We have pro-actively assisted businesses in the Western Cape to apply for support measures from national government, such as the UIF temporary employee relief scheme.”
The DA's Deidre Baartman had initially asked Maynier whether businesses had contacted provincial government for assistance with accessing benefits for employees.
The party's spokeperson on finance and economic opportunities, Nomi Nkondlo, also asked whether Maynier was aware of employees who were in financial dire straits as their employers had not applied to the UIF.
Maynier said that members who had specific cases were welcome to bring it to his department's attention.
The EFF's Melikhaya Xego asked Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo what her department has undertaken to assist the homeless currently housed at the temporary shelter in Strandfontein in accessing medical assistance during the lockdown.
Mbombo said that the site would be phased out by May 20 but until such time, the City would be capable of
rendering health services to its occupants.
“However, there were shortfalls and the department, in assessing the situation, found many of the problems were of a mental health nature and we got Lentegeur Hospital to step in and provide support,” added Mbombo.
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