SA Defence Force to enforce Coronavirus restrictions through street patrols

 

By Duncan Mlanjira

South African National Defence (SANDF) has been granted permission that it may support other state departments to mitigate the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and one of their tasks shall include enforcing government restrictions that have been imposed through street patrols.

A memorandum from the Department of Defence which Maravi Express has seen and collaborated with media reports from that country, said the acting Chief of the Army has instructed South African Army Infantry Formation to prepare and provide support units allocated to support the effort under the general regulations of Op Chariot.

“This conceptually entails supporting other government departments in terms of disaster relief, humanitarian assistance and crisis response,” says the memorandum seen by Maravi Express.

Just like President Peter Mutharika did by declaring Malawi a State of Disaster on Friday following the spread of the COVID-19 — which World Health Organisation has described as a global epidemic — South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa also did the same on March 15.

And also like in Malawi, the declaration triggered a number of ministerial announcements of travel restrictions, visa bans and limiting the size of mass gatherings to just 100.

According to South Africa’s Sunday Times, the SANDF street patrols will tighten adherence to the restrictions to help stop the virus from spreading.

Another report from that country’s City Press says soldiers have been asked not to apply for leave and those who are on holiday” have been told to return to their units to start preparing for short term deployment, after the defence force was placed on standby”.

The reports from SA previously reported that before President Ramaphosa announced stringent measures last week to combat the virus, he was told that a slow and inadequate response by government to the outbreak could result in anywhere between 87,900 and 351,000 deaths in South Africa and cause the health system to be overwhelmed.

News24 reports that it has seen the epidemiological projections prepared for the Department of Health and government that catapulted severe state action. 

“These projections formed the basis of Ramaphosa’s and Cabinet’s plans to combat the coronavirus,” says News24. “It is understood that the model is a dynamic one, and is continuously being updated, adapted and rebuilt as new data becomes available.

On Saturday it was announced that the infection rate in SA stood at 240 positive cases and concerns have been raised that a national ‘state of emergency’ is on the cards following a high level meeting on Saturday between Treasury, the SA Reserve Bank and the SA Revenue Service on measures to shore up the economy, to protect small businesses and ordinary South Africans amidst predictions that there could be a huge spike in COVID-19 infections.

Last Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a host of measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and included closure of schools and the banning of gatherings of 100 or more people.

“In a tweet on Saturday evening, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko said the National Command Council is meeting on Sunday to assess the implementation of the orders announced by the president last weekend. 

“Thereafter, Ramaphosa is expected to brief the media on outcomes of the meeting,” says a report by The Citizen.

When declaring the State of Disaster, President Mutharika told Malawians that at present there is no specific Off-the-Counter treatment or vaccine for Coronavirus available and what hospitals can do is to support patients by relieving the symptoms while their bodies fight the infection naturally.

“As we take every precaution, we must maintain our hope because according to health experts, 97% of patients infected by the Coronavirus get well after medical interventions.”

He added that in the absence of vaccine and an Off-the-Counter treatment, raising awareness of the risk factors for the Coronavirus infection and protective measures individuals can take is the only way to reduce human infection and death.

He shared with Malawians some of the preventive measures as prescribed by global medical experts that include: 

• Washing of hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser;

• Stoping handshakes

• Maintaining social distance with people;

• Not touching eyes, nose and mouth;

• Practising cough hygiene by covering mouth and nose with tissue or sleeve or flexed elbow when coughing or sneezing;

• Seeking medical care whenever feeling unwell.