Over 1 700 quarantine sites identified by Public Works

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has been and will continue to identify and make Covid-19 quarantine sites available, according to a statement released by Minister Patricia de Lille.

DPWI was tasked with identifying quarantine sites in all 44 districts and eight metros and was able to identify 1 751 such facilities, representing more than 129 600 beds, said the statement. De Lille explained, “DPWI has been working on all fronts over the past two months to ensure that we have enough quarantine facilities available and are ready for all eventualities, including the worst-case scenario should the number of people who need to be quarantined increase dramatically.”

Of these facilities, 642 belong to the state and 1 109 are privately-owned. De Lille added that the private sector had really stepped up, contributing significantly to the cause. “DPWI was approached by the private sector, specifically the hospitality sector, which was willing to make its sites available for quarantine purposes as these properties were standing empty due to lockdown regulations. We thank them for this.”  Once the sites have been identified, the Department of Health will operationalise them and they will be activated and procured by DPWI as and when needed, she said.

“To date, 395 facilities nationally, representing 35 759 beds, have been assessed by the Department of Health and are compliant according to the department’s requirements for quarantine facilities,” De Lille said. In addition to state-owned and private facilities, there are also sites available from State-Owned Entities (SOEs) such as Transnet and Eskom which are activated and managed by the SOEs, she added.