Temporary shelters unveiled for elderly at risk of Covid-19 in informal settlements

Human settlements minister Lindiwe Sisulu has unveiled the temporary structures being provided by  government for those, particularly the elderly, wanting to relocate from informal settlements during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sisulu took to her Twitter page to show rows of the structures.

“These are the emergency houses we are giving, especially for the elderly that would opt out of informal settlements. We prioritise the elderly because they are the most vulnerable,” she tweeted.

“The houses are built in adjacent land to ensure that they are not detached from their communities. We hope the communities work with us. In that way we will curb the spread of this virus,” she said.

Her department has been rolling out different initiatives to ease the burden on vulnerable communities as the country battles the coronavirus.

It was not immediately clear what would happen to the structures post lockdown.

In other countries, the elderly have been hit hard by the virus and have accounted for many of the fatalities.

Figures released by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) earlier this week showed that in SA, those aged between  31 and 40 years accounted for most of the infections at 24.3%. 

Medical experts have emphasised however, that the elderly and those with pre-existing or underlying conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and lung disease are particularly at risk of severe infection.