As the country gradually opens up and as we resume more activities, the risk of infection inevitably increases. Gert Sibande District Municipality (GSDM) is in agreement with the government’s stance that through our personal and collective actions, we can continue to delay the rate of infections across society.
The Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP) of GSDM are at the front line as health workers in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 within the District.
The national lockdown which started at level 5 bought us valuable time.
Our EHPs used the time during the lockdown to prepare and put in place public health measures to minimise infections.
Numerous municipal health related services were executed and are being executed by the EHPs daily to flatten the curve. These include tracing of contacts and disinfection of public facilities.
During this past week, the EHPs facilitated the distribution of donations received from partners in the private sector in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
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This includes a donation of sanitisers by Sibanye Stillwaters which were distributed to identified public areas including Police Stations, correctional services, clinics and hospitals. Two taxi associations in Balfour also benefited.
Regular disinfection of public areas continues to be undertaken by the EHPs such as the disinfection of the paediatric ward in Ermelo Hospital on Friday, 17 July.
The EHPs are also the first responders where positive cases are confirmed in public areas.
On 18 July, EHPs were at Oshoek border and Police station for disinfection after a positive case was confirmed.
On Monday, 20 July, the GSDM EHPs distributed a donation of personal protective equipment for front line workers and sanitisers received from DBSA.
We reiterate the call for the community to respect the COVID-19 regulations and to help fight the spread of COVID-19.
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Let us all fight for a COVID-19 free district and the rest of the country by wearing of face masks which cover the mouth and the nose, observing social distance and regular washing of hands with soap and use of sanitisers.
The power to defeat COVID-19 is in our hands.
