Klipfontein and Mitchells Plain COVID-19 update – 3 December 2020

The Klipfontein and Mitchells Plain Subdistricts in the Metro have seen increases of 51% and 40% new reported new COVID-19 infections respectively this past seven days. Gugulethu, Nyanga, Hanover Park, Manenberg, Lansdowne, Tafelsig, Lentegeur, Rocklands, Westridge, Portland, and Colorado have seen the highest number of new active cases.

As we have seen during the first wave of infections, once community transmission is established within communities, especially in the Metro, the situation can quickly deteriorate if not brought under control soon.

“Our contact tracing team have identified that in these listed hot spot areas, people are not social distancing when in public spaces, people are becoming infected because they travel in overcrowded public transport, not wearing masks or wearing it below the chin which is incorrect and should cover the nose and mouth. People are attending large social gatherings and getting infected, they are not staying at home when having COVID-19 symptoms and visiting sick people who are later tested positive,” says Fatima Peters, COVID-19 Contact Tracing Manager for the Western Cape Government Health Klipfontein and Mitchells Plain Subdistrict.

“We urge our communities to be more vigilant, to always wear a mask when heading outdoors, avoid gatherings where there is poor ventilation and to adhere to the 5 Golden Hygiene COVID-19 rules and to stay safe when moving forward with their daily lives,” says Fatima.

New cases in the Klipfontein and Mitchells Plain subdistrict in the Metropole over the last 7 days:

A closer look into the Klipfontein and Mitchells Plain Subdistrict shows the areas where we have seen a significant increase in new cases over the past seven days:

Further reports from our local surveillance team indicate that gatherings at social events, going to shopping centres while not adhering to protective measures such as wearing a mask and keeping a distance has led to quite a few cases testing positive. We call on the citizens of each of these subdistricts and as a collective to do their part so we can bring the situation under control again. We all have a role to play through our own actions.

Our behaviour will be influenced once we acknowledge and accept that the virus is not gone but will be with us over the holidays and beyond. Therefore, we need to remain safe and protect each other by:

• Wearing a mask properly is of life-saving importance. You must always wear your masks when outside of your home. There can be no exceptions.
• You must avoid crowded and confined spaces at all costs. This is where super-spreader events take place.
• You must urgently reconsider hosting all non-essential gatherings of people this year, especially indoor gatherings with poor ventilation. 
• You must ensure there is always good ventilation whenever you’re in public. The virus droplets spread by air in confined spaces, and so fresher is better.
• You must wash your hands regularly with soap and water or use sanitiser.
• If you feel sick, you should not leave your home unless it is to get healthcare treatment. You must first call our hotline on 080 928 4102 for guidance on the next steps.
• You should also not visit someone who is sick, and find other ways to provide support, like delivering a meal to a neighbour’s doorstep.

Every single resident should assume that Covid-19 is everywhere they go and take all the necessary precautions at every point along their journey.