Page 46 - SDG Report

RESPONSE TO COVID-19
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The COVID 19 virus has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. South Africa has not been spared, and we now have local transmission. As eThekwini Municipality, we all have a responsibility to slow down the spread of disease by implementing and adhering to the strict workplace and implementation measures. This chapter outlines some of the actions that the Municipality is implementing to address the pandemic. At the outset, we do have to note that there is much still to be learnt from our current experience of managing the pandemic. The lockdowns which have been imposed globally and locally, have slowed down the progression curve of the virus, but at the same time created catastrophic economic impacts globally and reversed many developmental gains. The scale of impact has not been experienced since the great depression before the second World War. Recovery from this crisis both globally and locally will not be quick and there is broad consensus that the economy may only return to pre-lockdown levels in 2022, while some have pointed out that the recovery will take much longer.
In the absence of self-immunity municipalities would need to plan for the foreseeable future with COVID 19 as an influencing factor on municipal operations. Listed below are some of the processes that the Municipality has embarked on to manage the pandemic.
“ As eThekwini Municipality, we all have a responsibility to slow down the spread of disease by implementing and adhering
to the strict workplace and implementation measures.”
44 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS GOOD PRACTICE