The SAPS will deploy its members today to ensure that people understand the seriousness of the situation
THE FRANCES Baard District Municipality has activated its Joint Operations Centre to co-ordinate and integrate the approach to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
The district municipality, in collaboration with all sector departments and local municipalities within the district, convened yesterday to activate its Joint Operations Centre (JOC).
In a statement issued yesterday, the district municipality pointed out that the Northern Cape government had established a Provincial Command Council, chaired by the premier, and required all district municipalities to establish joint operation centres, to be chaired by the executive mayor.
“The work of the District JOC will be reported to the Provincial JOC, overseen by various Members of the Executive Committee (MECs), as part of the District Development Model. All the members of the JOC in the district must work closely together with local municipalities to establish firm and enforceable guidelines.”
At the inception meeting of the Frances Baard Joint Operations Centre, a number of matters were raised. This included the preparedness of station commanders and members at all police stations in the district and their commitment to the process.
The SAPS will deploy its members today to ensure that people understand the seriousness of the situation.
The Department of Health has reactivated its District Outbreak Response Team. This team will focus primarily on Covid-19 and related cases.
The Department of Water Affairs will meanwhile be placing water tanks in areas that are densely populated in the district. They will focus on informal areas primarily and in areas where there are high numbers of people.
To date seven of the 20 tanks have been placed in Warrenton and 11 tanks in the Hartswater area.
In Kimberley, 14 water tanks and 17 JoJo tanks have already been placed in informal areas.
As Sol Plaatje Local Municipality is the most densely populated area in the Province, a total of 134 water tanks are earmarked for this area alone.
The six high-density areas in Dikgatlong Local Municipality will receive two water tanks each.
The department will also be distributing hand sanitisers and giving training on the use thereof as well as responsible use of the water provided.
The Environmental Health Practitioners and the Department of Health clinicians will be operating fully in the coming 21-day lockdown period and will be working closely with all relevant departments and stakeholders. A contingency outbreak and the disaster management plans have been put in place. The NEAR control centre of the district municipality will be operational 24/7 and will be used to centralise information regarding the virus.
The Frances Baard District JOC will convene on Thursdays during the 21-day lockdown period.
