EASTERN CAPE NEWS -Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane has said today (Thursday) that he is going to ask national government to consider enforcing a total shutdown of the province to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Wednesday’s updates on the spread of the virus showed an alarming increase in confirmed cases in the Eastern Cape of just over 40%, from 32 to 45, and the premier said that the constant relaxation of lockdown regulations was not helping the province in its attempts to flatten the curve.
The premier said that the province was testing and screening as many people as possible, but the constant movement of people is negating the potential positive impact of the lockdown.
The change in the regulations regarding funerals is seen to be a major contributing factor in the travel between provinces, according to local police officials.
Senior SAPS officials in the former Camdeboo area are also concerned about the increasing number of vehicles travelling from Willowmore and Aberdeen to Graaff-Reinet, and they are worried that people may try to travel this weekend to join family members for Easter.
Road blocks will be in place between Aberdeen and Graaff-Reinet, and anyone travelling without a permit will be turned back. Permits are obtainable from police stations, but will only be granted for essential travel. The latest gazetted regulations ( 2 April) state that there may not be more than 60% occupancy of a private vehicle, which means no more than three in a five-seater car.
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