POLOKWANE – The President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, on Sunday declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act and outlined measures to be taken to combat the virus. As a result the municipality will implement the following measures towards the fight against the pandemic, says Spokesman, Thipa Selala.
• Suspend municipal gatherings and contact session of more than 100 people
• Cancel briefing meetings for tenders
• Limit access to the municipal buildings, in particular rates hall and traffic stations. “This means that people entering the facilities will be controlled and taken by smaller groups to avoid congestion. We are not going to allow more than 20 people at the time,” Selala explains.
• Cancel all bookings for municipal facilities by either internal or external stakeholders.
The municipality urges residents to take precautionary measures in ensuring that this virus does not spread and urges them to pay, where possible, their rates and services via EFT instead of visiting the municipal rates hall.
Basic protective steps as recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO), to help prevent the spread of the virus:
• Wash hands frequently;
• Maintain social distancing;
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth;
• Practice respiratory hygiene; and
• If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early, among others
Selala concludes and says there will be a visible number of hand-sanitising stations throughout municipal facilities for employees and customers.