Government mum on location of 170 quarantine sites

While the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has identified 170 sites across all South Africa’s nine provinces – comprising 44 district and eight metro councils as being suitable to be used as coronavirus quarantine sites – the Department of Health was mum on Thursday on details about where these would be situated.

According to DPWI ministry spokesperson Zara Nicholson, the sites would be made up of government and private sector-owned properties.

Enquiries by The Citizen on the exact locations for the quarantine sites drew a blank when calls and WhatsApp messages to spokesperson Popo Maja went unanswered.

“At this stage DPWI is only identifying sites and the Health Department will confirm, after inspections and assessments, which properties are to be used as quarantine sites. We are not releasing the exact location of the sites until they are confirmed as quarantine sites by the Health Department after their inspections,” said Nicholson.

She confirmed that the Tsogo Sun hotel group offered government “some of the sites, which have been accepted by the Health Department for use to quarantine people affected by the coronavirus”.

Nicholson referred enquiries on quarantine operational processes to Health.

Earlier this month DPWI Minister Patricia de Lille assured that informal settlement residents would be among beneficiaries of the government virus containment programme, with teams from her department visiting districts to assess properties and oversee processes.

The erection of 40 kilometres of 1.8-metre high fence at the busy Beitbridge border post between South Africa and Zimbabwe, was part of the DPWI project.

Among other sites to be used for quarantine, were:

• Free State’s Trompsburg and the Ladybrand hospitals;

• KwaZulu Natal government-identified sites in Durban North, Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay and Port Shepstone;

• Four Limpopo properties in Waterberg, Vhembe, Capricorn and Mopani districts;

• Several sites in the North West, which included four hospitals.

Meanwhile, although experts from the World Health Organisation’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Peta), said cats and dogs were neither at risk of contracting Covid-19 nor transmitting the disease to humans, it offered information about best ways to keep pets as companions.

Peta advised people:

• Not to put face masks on animals, as they can cause breathing difficulties.

• To allow animals to move about normally, by not caging or crating them.

• Avoidance by coronavirus sufferers of close contact with animals.

• Assist neighbours who may not be able to buy food for pets, by donating animal food.

“Our dogs and cats rely on us to take care of them year-round and especially during times of crisis,” said Peta senior vice president of international campaigns Jason Baker.

brians@citizen.co.za

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