Cape Town - While the Western Cape government has made quarantine and isolation facilities available for resident to use to help curb the spread of Covid-19, according to Premier Alan Winde there is a struggle to occupy these facilities as residents want to stay in their own homes.
During his weekly digicon, Winde featured Transport and Public Works MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela, and Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo to provide an update on these facilities in the province.
The premier said that provincial public works department had, as of June 24, brought 3 760 isolation and quarantine facility beds online. He added they would soon have 4 766 beds available for residents unable to isolate or quarantine at home.
"Our strategy has been to proactively identify sites across the province, and to prepare them for activation should the need arise. This can be done quickly, as the demand for these facilities emerges.
"However, we are experiencing serious challenges in filling these facilities as residents would rather stay in their own homes. There are currently 1 006 people in these facilities. While this is an increase from last month, it represents a 21.11% occupancy rate of those beds that have been made available currently."
He explained the approach used to activating these facilities:
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All clients with severe symptoms, as well as those at high risk of Covid-19 morbidity and mortality are assessed for the need of hospitalization.
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All those who are symptomatic and not requiring hospitalisation are currently offered assisted quarantine (with or without testing). Once the facility is filled, we then move to activate the next facility.
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The same process is followed for isolation facilities (for those confirmed to have Covid-19).
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This ensures that we are not incurring costs for facilities not in use at any point.
Some of the questions asked by people who are unwilling to take up the offer to isolate or quarantine in these facilities are:
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Can I bring my own food?
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Who will look after my house?
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Can I leave to visit my family?
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Can I drink alcohol at the facility?
Winde said there were also concerns people would be identified in their communities as having Covid-19 if they made use of these facilities.
"The fear of discrimination and rejection by communities is therefore an additional concern.
"The Western Cape government is responding to this challenge by mobilising all sectors and civil society. In line with our existing hotspot strategy, we are adopting context sensitive approaches for each area," he said.
This includes: communication strategies, engagement with local community leaders, public messaging by local personalities, and behaviour change strategies. Additionally, community health workers, also pursue engagements with households – especially with vulnerable persons at risk.
"We have also re-purposed the Western Cape’s contact centre to make outbound calls to confirmed cases and contacts of these cases to encourage them to take up these facilities.
"The centre has already made hundreds of calls and offers the opportunity to make use of these facilities three times, allowing for a more personal explanation of why it is worthwhile to do so.
"My message to you today is to please make use of these facilities if you are unable to do so at home. These facilities are comfortable and safe," Winde said.
"It is understandably a difficult thing to do, and I understand leaving home is tough: but if you do so, you can make sure that you don’t spread the virus to anyone else in your home or community. We need to think of the ones we love right now and make small sacrifices to keep them safe. Let’s do it for our grans, aunties and best friends.
"Be compassionate and caring and reject discrimination when you encounter it. Any person can get infected – we all deserve love during this challenging time."