‘We do not support a lockdown’ – Winde
AS THE Western Cape continues to experience a spike in Covid-19 infections, Premier Alan Winde has maintained that the provincial government is not in support of a lockdown being imposed after his participation in the President’s Co- ordinating Council discussion yesterday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa engaged and consulted premiers after a meeting of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) on Tuesday.
Reports have emerged that the NCCC had decided that a curfew of 10pm to 4am was necessary to stop the spike in Covid-19 infections in hot-spot areas including the Eastern Cape and pockets of the Western Cape.
As of yesterday, the Western Cape recorded an additional 28 deaths, with 10 442 active Covid-19 infections.
Winde is expected to outline plans on how the provincial government will deal with the rise in infections today.
“The Western Cape does not, however, support a lockdown being imposed on the province.
“We believe that local, targeted interventions based on science and common sense will not only help to flatten the curve of infection, but will also protect businesses and the economy from the negative impact of a lockdown.
“We await further announcements from the president around potential interventions at a national level and in terms of the Disaster Management Act,” he said.
The Western Cape, for its part, will be working on specific and localised interventions aimed at reducing the infection rate, said Winde.
ANC leader in the provincial legislature Cameron Dugmore said: “From the outset, the DA leadership tried to undermine the national lockdown intended to preserve life and health. They
called for the ban on alcohol and cigarettes to be lifted. They even spread mixed messages about the wearing of masks.”
Meanwhile, some opposition parties in Parliament have given the green light for stricter measures to be implemented to combat Covid-19.
EFF national spokesperson Vuyani Pambo said all measures that were geared to save lives must be taken and the party agreed with any measures taken to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Narend Singh, IFP Chief Whip in the National Assembly, said that they would not be surprised if certain areas had certain restrictions imposed, given the fact that there was a spike in infection in areas such as the Eastern Cape and parts of the Western Cape.
“If people in those particular areas are not adhering to lockdown measures for their own sake, then regulations and restrictions need to be imposed. The people are letting their guard down, and irresponsibly so.”
UDM leader and MP Bantu Holomisa said that in the absence of a vaccine, it should be understood that such measures as curfews and certain restrictions would prove inevitable in the event of a resurgence or a spike in infections.
However, Dean Macpherson, DA MP and spokesperson on Trade and Industry said such restrictions and curfews would be devastating to the economy and would impact negatively upon the thousands of restaurants across South Africa that had only just begun to get back on their feet after a protracted lockdown.