Page 64 - QDG Year of 2020

62 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
1 Special Service Battalion
Lt Col D.L Romain addressing the parade
Monday 23 March 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa the president of the Republic of South Africa announced a total lockdown after the first case of the coronavirus pandemic was reported in Wuhan, a city in China in December 2019.
The lockdown period was supposed to last only for 21 days, however, today, we still find ourselves under lockdown. That’s how devastating the COVID-19 was and still is.
The South African National Defence Force in conjunction with the South African Police Services had to be the driving forces in support of the State Of National Disaster. 1 Special Service Battalion was tasked among other units to deploy under OPERATION NOTLELA (means to lock), which had the respon- sibility to curb the spreading of the coronavirus.
The unit was deployed from March 2020 to October 2020 in the Free State Province, of which the Tactical Battalion Head Quarters was situated in Bloem- fontein. The main aim of the deployment was to enforce the lockdown regulations and to communicate information to the communities regarding the virus, and how to curb the spread and to protect those around us.
Awareness was done daily through social media and the distribution of pamphlets in different vernacular languages to reach the entire public. The media showcased our men and women in uniform on a regular basis working tire- lessly.
To conclude, the most important thing and which was pleasing during these difficult times, was to observe the positive response of our communities towards the curbing of the spread of the virus.
Thank you for the friendship and bond that we as armour can share. God Bless the Queen Dragoon Guards.
Awareness
R702 road block
Assistance of health workers
SANDF with SAPS
Giving out of pamphlets
Medical personnel doing temperature checks
DR
Giving to the underprivileged