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By Marvin Charles 
6h ago
Cape Town – Western Cape Prime Minister Alan Winde has announced that the provincial government is considering its own local intervention and restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Winde’s announcement comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa met with the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) on Tuesday.
Winde said: “While we are considering our own interventions, the Western Cape government intends to involve the President in our position on the existing regulations during this meeting tomorrow. This is because all the regulations of the Disaster Management Law are promulgated by the national government and not by the provincial governments. “
Ramaphosa is expected to hold his presidential coordinating council meeting on Wednesday, where he will interact and consult with the nine prime ministers to address the resurgence.
“During this consultation, the Western Cape will strongly oppose any forceful instrument, such as a blockade, being imposed on the province.
“We must first do everything possible, through our individual and collective action, to ensure that the revival is reversed and to avoid this tool having to be used again,” Winde said.
Among the interventions considered by Winde is around the meetings. “Our surveillance teams have traced many cluster outbreaks back to gatherings of people indoors, as the virus spreads faster in confined spaces when ventilation is poor.
“The number of people that are allowed to gather indoors, currently 250, is too high and this needs to be reconsidered for the specific hot spots where the virus is spreading the fastest,” he said.
The next two weeks for the country are crucial as the national state of disaster expires next Tuesday.
The discussion comes amid fears of a possible tighter lockdown as infections rise in some parts of the country, including the Eastern Cape.
Meanwhile, in the Western Cape, some regions will no longer allow public events that can generate large numbers of people.
Winde will describe her plans at her weekly press conference on Thursday.
The prime minister added that he will also communicate to the president that provincial governments should have more powers to implement interventions near specific geographic points.
“This localized approach will allow area-specific challenges to be considered and avoid blunt tools that have unintended consequences.
“All of these interventions must be supported by a drive for major behavior change, we need greater communication from all levels of government about the safety precautions residents should take during the holiday season, and the national government must help critical points in this regard. “
Cape Argus
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