16 June 2020 PRESS STATEMENT: First Positive Covid-19 case at Garden Route District Municipality and Temporary Closure of Head-Office

For Immediate Release 

16 June 2020

From Wednesday, 17 June 2020, the Head-Office of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) in George will be temporary closed, due to an employee who tested positive for Covid-19.

Executive Mayor of GRDM, Cllr Memory Booysen, when confirming the first Covid-19 positive case of the municipality, said:  “Although the person was working from home and had less interaction with colleagues, the employee occasionally came to our offices and it is our duty as a municipality to follow all related protocols. We immediately took the necessary precautions and are implementing all measures such as closing the building, disinfecting, fogging, etc. to ensure the safety of the rest of the GRDM employees”.

Officials disinfecting the Head-Office of Garden Route District Municipality.

All GRDM satellite offices in the district will continue with normal working operations; however the Head-Office will be closed despite the District Command Centre that is stationed at the Head-Office being the centre point to coordinate Covid-19 related activities in the district.  The temporary closure of the building will therefore allow the municipality to take the necessary precautions related to the Covid-19 protocols.

The person is already in isolation and the process to trace all persons who were in contact with the employee, is underway.   All processes will be conducted in collaboration with the Western Cape Department of Health.  Mayor Booysen concluded by extending a word of appreciation on behalf of Council and Management to the employee, who immediately informed management of the test results. He wished the employee a speedy recovery and also wished all those who might have been in contact with the employee well, during this time.

The Strategic Manager in the Office of the Municipal Manager, Mr Thembani Loliwe, confirmed that the office will reopen on Monday, 22 June 2020 and he further stated that no person will be allowed into the office, including officials and members of the public until the reopening of the building. “We therefore encourage all staff and members of the public to be patient with us while we put these measures in place and ensuring a safe working environment for our employees”.

As we enter the peak period of the pandemic, every person will be at risk of contracting the virus, therefore it is important that we adhere to all principles to prevent the spread of the virus. Stay at home, if you can work from home. Make sure that you keep a 1.5 meter distance between yourself and the next person, wear a clean cloth mask when you have to go out, wash your hands often and avoid touching your face. If you feel sick also stay at home and seek urgent medical care when experiencing difficulty breathing.

For more information, contact:

Mr Thembani Loliwe,

Strategic Manager in the Office of the Municipal Manager

Tel: 067 038 7668 / E-mail: thembani@gardenroute.gov.za

-ENDS-