15 Apr 2021

The village emergency COVID-19 response teams across the North West District are reported to be doing well in facilitating preventative measures and ensuring compliance to health protocols.

The teams were recently reactivated by the District Emergency Operation Committee (DEOC) following a spike in COVID-19 positive cases experienced in the district.

The committee was concerned about non-compliance to protocols in the district as members of the community continued to violate them despite efforts to spread messages of compliance and prevention through different platforms.

In an interview, DEOC coordinator, Mr Keolopile Leipego confirmed that their efforts to resuscitate village structures and engage traditional and political leaders across the district to touch base with the community on issues of COVID-19 had helped to arrest the situation.

He said they were concerned that the overall compliance to the health protocols had dropped drastically despite extended efforts to create awareness and now they had noticed an improvement as far as compliance was concerned.

Mr Leipego attributed the improvement to efforts made by village response teams, saying they had taken the COVID-19 fight seriously.

Although he noted that the number of cases wsa still high, he said they were not increasing rapidly as before. He commended the combined efforts from different sectors, which he said was working wonders and appreciated that community members had changed their behaviour.

He also expressed satisfaction about the vaccination rollout response in the district.

Mr Leipego appealed to the community to continue to fight the pandemic and take heed of government efforts towards total containment of the virus.

Kgosi Oateng Setlhodi of Chanoga attested that the village response team had made a huge difference in mobilising the community to change mindset. Ends