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By Marvin Charles 
3h ago
Cape Town – Party-goers abruptly ended Friday night’s celebrations after Health Minister Zweli Mkhize visited two popular bars during an inspection visit to Cape Town.
Mkhize visited Rands in Khayelitsha and Cubaña in Green Point. His visit follows growing concern over a resurgence of Covid-19 cases reported primarily along the Garden Route and in the Cape Town metro.
Mkhize said “there has been no improvement” after the inspections. “It is important that we notify them. We have warned (Cubaña) of non-compliance, which is the first step to enforce and if they do not comply it means that they are exposing people and putting them at risk … He said that overcrowding should not be allowed and emphasized that people should not go down the guard.
Mkhize’s visit came just after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape a coronavirus hotspot and implemented additional restrictions.
In his speech, Ramaphosa said South Africa had recorded 4,400 cases on Wednesday, which was the largest daily increase since August, while hospital admissions also rose to more than 5,800 nationally.
Mkhize was accompanied by law enforcement officials and Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo.
Mbombo told Cape Argus on Sunday that she was very concerned about the failure to comply with regulations that were put in place to curb the infection rate.
“City law enforcement officials conducted business inspections along Bree and Long streets, where non-compliance warning notices were issued.
“The follow-up visits will take place on weekends and those who still do not meet the requirements will be fined. I call on companies to evaluate their security protocols to reduce the risk of infections occurring there. This includes ensuring that facilities and venues are well ventilated, crowds are limited and hygiene protocols are in place, ”he said.
Nightlife has been in the spotlight in recent weeks as law enforcement agencies prepare for a massive deployment of officials specifically targeting bars and entertainment venues.
Mkhize is expected to meet with Ramaphosa to pass on the information he has been able to gather on the status of the Garden Route and the subway.
Zahid Badroodien, a Mayco member for health and community services, joined the City’s Environmental Health Service in a series of Covid-19 compliance inspections in the CBD.
“Cape Town remains at alert level 1, but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels, given the continued increase in transmission rates on the metro.
“My observations from recent excursions with Environmental Health is that we have to do a lot more to ensure that as a city we are able to slow down the transmission of Covid-19. As the peak of the holiday season approaches, we will see an increase in people socializing and moving around, increasing the risk of exposure, ”he said.
Cape Argus
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