01 Nov 2020

Non-compliance to health protocols has led to rise of COVID-19 cases in the greater Selebi Phikwe zone.

Addressing a media briefing recently, the District Emergency Operation Centre Committee (DEOC) chairperson, Mr Mokgethi Nfila, cautioned residents of Selebi Phikwe against compromising on health protocols, stating that 27 positive cases, 16 active and 11 recoveries were registered in October.

Mr Nfila, who is also deputy district commissioner, said cases had been low for some time until recently when members of the public started to relax.

He said non-compliance was prevalent in churches, public transport and liquor selling outlets.

Mr Nfila said, in October, police recorded 144 cases of failure to wear masks, 12 of drinking in restricted areas, six of unlawful gathering and a single case of failure to comply with self-isolation conditions.

He said illegal immigrants were also a challenge since the regional immigration office continued to register high numbers, particularly Zimbabwe nationals.

For his part, greater Selebi Phikwe District Health Management Team coordinator, Mr Mpaphi Mbulawa, said the dramatic increase of cases did not surprise health professionals, due to recent non-compliance challenges.

He acknowledged a constraint in terms of isolation space, saying home isolation was a challenge in spite of monitoring tools put in place.

Mr Mbulawa also highlighted that visitation was prohibited during isolation until a client was cleared to be non-infectious.

He said illegal immigrants were a challenge in the greater Selebi Phikwe zone, saying four clients tested positive in custody. 

Selebi Phikwe mayor, Mr Lucas Modimana, said he had observed a decline in the level of compliance in the community, citing an incident in one village where a funeral generated 20 positive cases. 

The mayor thus advised the community not to let their guard down and to report any cases of misconduct concerning COVID-19 protocols. Ends