THE Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has been working across the metro to empower communities and enforce regulations in an attempt to flatten the curve of Covid-19 infections, as these continue to rise within the metro.
Acting Bay Mayor, Tshonono Buyeye, accompanied by MMC for Public Health, Yolisa Pali, and Environmental Health officers, were out in full force at Spar and Shoprite malls in New Brighton and Boxer in KwaZakhele and Kenako Mall recently, to inform and educate residents about the virus. They also made an appeal to residents to maintain social distancing and wear masks at all times.
NMBM spokesperson, Mthubanzi Mniki, said that the transgression of lockdown regulations at local shopping malls and major stores remained a major challenge.
In all the areas visited by the delegation, hundreds of people stood in queues to get into grocery shops and access ATMs.
“Although 98% of the people obeyed the mandatory wearing of a mask, a lesser percentage obeyed social distancing protocols,” Mniki said.
Pali also expressed her concern and mentioned that she had called in reinforcements to help.
“As the mayoral committee member for public health, I have called on all environmental teams to focus on this issue. Working with our counterparts from (the Department of) Health, an aggressive effort like this will pay off.
“We will not cease our efforts until we see a change in the behaviour of our people,” she added.
According to Mniki, some residents were even observed greeting each other with the customary handshake, now prohibited under the current regulations.
“From what I see in all these areas, these are some of the major contributors to infections. We have decided to make these our focus areas,” Buyeye said.
“We will cover every corner, making sure that regulations are adhered to. Other mayoral committee members are doing similar work in different areas, working in tandem with our environmental health officials. We must flatten the curve. These numbers simply have to drop,” Buyeye emphasised.
Mniki said that the programme will continue throughout the metro. Areas like Motherwell, KwaZakhele, Walmer, Zwide and KwaDwesi would receive the most attention.
