Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina has announced a raft of containment and mitigation measures to decrease the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city says this comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a raft of measures to curb the spread of the virus and declaring the outbreak a ‘National State of Disaster’ last Sunday.
Among others the city has activated a Joint Operations Centre to coordinate the metro’s response to new infections in Ekurhuleni.
The JOC will also provide daily situational reports on all developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the office of the mayor, the JOC will also meet with various city stakeholders, including representatives from ACSA, ESKOM, faith-based organizations, traditional leaders and taxi associations to get an update on the virus, which has already infected 240 South Africans on Saturday after Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced an increase of 38 confirmed cases, after Friday’s number stood at 202.
CORONAVIRUS: HOWCITY OF EKURHULENI IS DEALING COVID-19
WORKPLACE MANAGEMENT
- the City is in the process of setting up a dedicated hotline for employees who have any questions regarding COVID-19 and possible symptoms;
- the City is considering the introduction of a Work From Home protocol for high-risk staff members and will make an announcement to this effect in the near future;
SOCIAL DISTANCING
The City recognises that globally, social distancing has emerged as one of the most effective methods of slowing down the COVID-19 pandemic. With this in mind the City has decided to enforce the closure of the following Government-owned facilities:
* Community halls
* Civic centres
* Stadia and sports fields
* Lakes
* Public swimming pools
* Innovation and business labs
* Nature reserves
The aforementioned facilities will be closed until further notice.
COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC EDUCATION
Empower the residents of Ekurhuleni with knowledge surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic is an effective method of allaying fears and reducing the harmful impact of misinformation. The City will introduce the following measures:
* The City will be rolling out a mass public awareness campaign regarding the COVID-19 outbreak;
* Intensive education workshops will be provided to high-risk individuals in the City by health and safety officials;
* Daily situation updates will be sent to City residents via SMS and digital media platforms;
SAFETY AND SECURITY
The City is cognisant that criminal elements will see the COVID-19 outbreak as an opportunity to capitalise on the fear and anxiety of our citizens. The City will be adopting a proactive to this effect and will be enforcing the following measures:
* Increased visible policing will be implemented throughout the City
* A zero-tolerance approach will be taken against public disobedience and violent acts of xenophobia
HEALTH FACILITIES
In order to minimise the potential strain the COVID-19 pandemic might exert on our public hospitals the City will be capacitating our local clinics with the following interventions:
* Sanitisation stations are currently setup at the entrance of all of the City’s clinics
PORTS OF ENTRY
The City of Ekurhuleni is home to continents busiest airport, OR Tambo International. This means the City must take an active interest in the screening, tracing and reporting of contact individuals at this port to safeguard the wellness of our residents.
To this effect the City has introduced the following measures:
* The City has deployed health and safety officials to OR Tambo International Airport and the
* Additional City health and safety officers will be stationed at both airports to support COVID-19 containment measures
ACCOUNT PAYMENTS
The City encourages account holders to utilise the Siyakhokha online system. Siyakhokha offers our residents and businesses, the convenience of online services, while at the same time promoting social distancing.
The Siyakhokha Portal allows account holders to conduct the following services:
* Link your Municipal Accounts
* Add your Banking Details
* View your Municipal Statements
* Make Payment for your Municipal Account
* View Payment History/Status
