‘Don’t panic, but don’t underestimate virus’ – MEC

KWAZULU-NATAL finance MEC Ravi Pillay urged the government and community leaders in Umgungundlovu District Municipality not to panic, but also not to underestimate the seriousness of Covid-19.

Pillay was among various MECs who were yesterday deployed to the province’s 11 districts to disseminate information on how the government was tackling the spread of the virus.

“The point I am trying to make, which is going to give us hope, is not to panic as there are responses that have been effective.

“Don’t panic, but don’t downplay the problem. Don’t panic because this disease can be managed,” he said.

He was addressing amakhosi, religious leaders, mayors and municipal managers of the 11 municipalities which fall under the district.

The meeting took place in Hilton, outside Pietermaritzburg, where the country’s first Covid-19 patient was diagnosed.

Pillay spoke about precautions that China, which was the first country to report cases of the disease, had implemented, and how it had managed to arrest new internal infections.

He said that if people adhered to the government’s prevention measures, the disease would be controlled.

He assured the leaders that the government would continue to provide support as essential staff would not be affected by the lockdown.

However, he raised concern about the call for people to constantly wash their hands to prevent infection.

He said that where water supply was lacking, JoJo tanks would be provided with immediate effect.

Umgungundlovu district House of Traditional Leaders chairperson, Inkosi Nsikayezwe Zondi, appealed to the government to supply water and sanitisers to traditional courts as they were also used as pension pay points.