Western Cape preparing hard for the lockdown
LAW Enforcement vehicles were seen using loud hailers around areas of Cape Town to make sure communities were made fully aware of the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak and how to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy.
The Western Cape had recorded a total of 148 confirmed cases yesterday. Four of the province’s six districts have confirmed Covid-19 infections.
Yesterday, Premier Alan Winde said the province had placed orders worth R45 million for medical equipment and personal protective equipment.
“Cabinet today approved a proposal by the provincial Treasury to make funds available for the coronavirus response in terms of Section 25 of the Public Finance Management
Act. The proposal allows for under-spending on the compensation of employees, in the Departments of Health, Social Development and Local Government, from the 2019/20 year, to be retained and reprioritised.
“The proposal also allows for funding, kept aside in the 2020/21 financial year for unforeseen and unavoidable expenditure, to be used to bolster the Western Cape Government’s coronavirus response,” Winde said.
In a string of precautionary measures, the City announced closures of more non-essential services yesterday, from electricity services, driving licence testing centres, motor vehicle registration offices, to municipal offices, amid the lockdown.
Mayor Dan Plato said police would be the lead agency in terms of enforcing the provisions of the lockdown.
“We ask residents to postpone non-essential visits to their local clinic and reschedule appointments until after the lockdown,” he said.