During his speech to the nation on April 9, President Ramaphosa said that a nationwide screening process will be implemented.
The screening process has commenced in Govan Mbeki Municipality. It started on 11 April and will continue throughout GMM.
This statement led to widespread discussions as to who will be allowed into homes and who will not. What type of testing will be done and even what the citizens will allow or not allow?
Most of these comments sprouted from a lack of information.
The Bulletin visited eMbalenhle to see first-hand what the screening process entails. A video of such a screening process can be seen here.
The language spoken is Zulu.
In GMM the following wards will be targeted:
eMbalenhle –
• Ward 8 & 10 • Ward 12 • Ward 14
Secunda
• Ward 30
Look out for health workers who have official identification and branded clothing. Please support our health workers and keep them safe.
Some of the councillors will try and accompany the health workers to clarify some questions. Here is a link to all GMM councillors and their numbers https://www.govanmbeki.gov.za/municipal-council/
In his speech President Ramaphosa said the following:
As government, together with our many partners, we have used this lockdown period to both refine and intensify our public health strategy to manage the coronavirus.
Our approach is to screen in communities and test people in hospitals, clinics and mobile clinics, to isolate those who are infected and to care for those who are ill in our health facilities.
We need to do this intensively and systematically.
We have used the last week to develop our screening and testing methodology in various parts of the country.
Over the next two weeks, we will roll out the community screening and testing programme across all provinces, focusing in particular on highly vulnerable communities.
Those who test positive and cannot self-isolate at home will be isolated at special facilities that have been identified and are now being equipped.
At all times, we will observe the human rights of all people.
Let us not discriminate against people who test positive.
To ensure that our strategies are effectively coordinated and to ensure they are informed by comprehensive, real-time data, we have established the COVID-19 Information Centre at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.
This world-class centre will keep track of all screening, testing, isolation and hospitalisation throughout the country.
It is already identifying infection hotspots.
It is following the spread and the severity of the disease and enabling us to move our focus and resources where they are most needed.
We are working with mobile telephony companies and other institutions to locate those people who have tested positive for the virus and those with whom they have been in contact.
Let us all try and accommodate the Health Workers so that we may all be safe.
