Lockdown can be extended if rules are not obeyed, warns Alan Winde

SA's 21-day lockdown may need to be extended if people do not heed the call to stay at home, according to Western Cape premier Alan Winde.

In a statement released after a virtual media conference on Thursday, Winde said only a collective effort would save SA from a coronavirus worst-case scenario.

“It needs each and every one of us to do our bit by staying in our homes,” Winde said. “If we all do this, we will be able to go back to our lives again and start to rebuild our economy. If we do not, and the virus continues to spread, many people will die, and the lockdown may be extended.

“So now is the time. We can do this together,” Winde said.

He said Covid-19 had thus far resulted in three hospitalisations out of 181 reported positive cases in the province.

Of these cases, 152 were in Cape Town, 12 in the Garden Route district, 10 in the Cape winelands, six in the Overberg, and one unknown.

“I want to confirm that these are only confirmed laboratory cases. There are likely many more people who have the virus and who are not yet showing symptoms. That is why this lockdown is so important, and why staying home is our strongest weapon against it,” Winde said.

Responding to questions from journalists watching his live-streaming presser, Winde said the province was investigating ways of addressing resource constraints in township and informal residential areas which were most at risk of rapid spread of infection. This included expanding existing medical supply and water provision.

He also appealed to residents to only seek medical attention once they were showing symptoms consistent with Covid-19 infection, so as not to overburden the health system.