VRYHEID KZN: JOC to monitor ‘super spreaders’ events

The Joint Operations Committee (JOC) is a project that was formulated to fight Covid-19… and the fight is not over, even though we have been dropped to level 1 lockdown. JOC secretary Phumlani Mchunu says they are still working towards the same goal, which is to make sure that people adhere to all the rules and regulations regarding the pandemic. Mchunu explained that they will continue with their activities as usual, but will now be focusing mainly on what they consider to be four ‘super spreader’ events that they will monitor in communities. The first of these ‘super spreaders’ is funerals. ”We are going to make sure that we monitor all funerals, because that is where people get infected the most with the virus.” Second on the list is places of worship. ”The president announced that we are moving to Alert Level 1 and we all know that churches are already planning for their Easter holidays. We want them to plan according to the regulations, so we will do workshops with church leaders so we can be sure they understand the regulations. For indoors activities, it’s 100 people or less; and only 250 for outdoor activities. They must also remember the curfew periods; there must be no vigils. We cannot drop the ball now; we need to be cautious and not invite another death wave,” he said. Another activity they will focus on, as the JOC, is the business sector. “We have noticed that people do not wear masks in some retail stores, butcheries and salons. Protocol must be observed!” The last activity the JOC will monitor is weddings / cultural ritual functions. ”Since we have moved to Alert Level 1, we know that a lot of weddings and cultural ritual functions will take place. There are always big crowds at those kinds of events, which is not wrong, but we need to make sure they stick to 100 people in the venue,” Mchunu said. Another aspect he touched on is that, during the re-opening of schools, they had a chance to visit one of the local schools and were not too happy since the regulations were not being followed. “A lot of things were not in place in terms of Covid-19 regulations, but we understood that maybe it was because it was their first day of school. The school management said they would definitely improve so as not to invite a third wave.” Mchunu concluded by giving thanks to their social partners who assisted when Cyclone Eloise wreaked havoc. He said the JOC would like to thank Vryheid Boxer Store, Super Spar and Meat Masters for donating food parcels to needy families and also assisting the government. He also thanked all the government departments and the Abaqulusi disaster team for the way in which they dealt with the cyclone disaster, as they responded quickly whenever they were needed. Mchunu urges community members to adhere to all health protocols, because the virus is still here. ”The Covid-19 virus is still around, so let us continue to wash our hands, keep a safe social distance and wear our masks, as this is compulsory.”

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