Following the President’s address yesterday evening [May 13], Western Cape Government has decided to use the process of consultation announced by the President to urge him to move the province to Alert Level 3 as soon as possible.
The premier hopes that the Western Cape will be able to enter Level 3 lockdown before the end of the month.
“With our health care system prepared, it is simply no longer possible to maintain Level 4 restrictions anywhere in the Western Cape or South Africa. The economic crisis caused by these restrictions has resulted in a life-threatening humanitarian disaster that will only worsen in the months ahead,” says Premier Alan Winde.
The Western Cape has adopted a data-led, evidence-based approach to the response to COVID-19, with targeted All of Government interventions in hotspots. These hotspots are not whole provinces or even districts, they are geographical areas where people live, down to street-level.
“This is the plan that we presented to the National Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize on Saturday, and which had already been adopted by our cabinet,” adds Winde.
According to Winde, the All of Government approach will utilise all of the impact and enforcement agencies available to government to achieve a single-minded goal of slowing the spread of COVID-19 and protecting vulnerable groups of people.
“This focused effort of government, in partnership with the private sector and every person, will help us slow the spread and save lives, while still allowing more economic activity and protecting the livelihoods of especially our poor and vulnerable residents,” states Winde.
In conjunction with this plan going forward, Winde is pushing for the entire province to adapt an Alert Level 3 lockdown as soon as possible.
