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The Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Mpho Phalatse, is currently meeting with various stakeholders and technical experts in the field to understand the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron and how the City can respond to it. 

The discovery has highlighted the need for the residents of the City of Johannesburg not to let their guard down and to continue following strict Covid-19 non-pharmaceutical protocols. 

“As emphasised in the President’s recent address, the vaccination programme is a priority in the fight to minimise the spread of Covid-19 infection and vaccinations decrease the risk of death for those who are immunised,” said Mayor Phalatse.

To date, there are 3,971 active Covid-19 cases in the City of Johannesburg. A total of 1,519,298 individuals have been fully vaccinated and 1,879,439 individuals have receiving at least one dose. 

To effectively respond to Covid-19, the City of Johannesburg has 84 designated facilities for screening and testing. The City also has dedicated contact-tracing teams in place. A further 27 non-medical sites and 11 medical sites are operated by City for the Covid-19 vaccination rollout. 

The City of Johannesburg undertakes a series of social mobilisation and outreach programmes to improve access to the vaccine. These include increasing visibility in far-to-reach areas. From 29 November to 5 December 2021, the City will run an education and awareness campaign and will have 48 pop-up sites for residents to get vaccinated.

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in many people losing their source of income. To offer some relief to needy families, the City of Johannesburg has distributed 173, 644 food parcels between July 2021 and November 2021.The City also strives to ensure that homeless individuals were provided shelter and a safe space. Seven shelters are in operation, providing three meals a day to 583 occupants.

To ensure adequate hygiene during the Covid-19 pandemic, the City has 1,081 water tanks delivered and maintained for 137 informal settlements, four high-risk areas, nine recreational centres, five malls, two bad buildings and eight SASSA pay points. A total of 344 tank stands have been constructed. A further 1,452 toilets were delivered and maintained for 61 informal settlements, eight recreational areas and five malls. The servicing of toilets has increased from twice a week to three times a week where necessary.

The City also has an economic relief and stimulus plan that includes SMMEs and Township Enterprise Empowerment. Through the SMMEs onboarding portal, SMMEs have been integrated into infrastructure projects. A series of mentoring programmes have been piloted and grant models developed. A total of 3,337 SMMEs were supported in first quarter of the City of Johannesburg’s financial year. 

As part of the City’s Covid-19 response, the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) are providing security provision at places such as the shelters for displaced communities (e.g., Wembley Stadium), and ensuring physical distancing at various over-crowded points, i.e., malls, funerals and taxi ranks. 

From 3 December 2021, the JMPD will have a Festive Season Safety programme that will include 1,083 additional officers that have been already added to the shift system to ensure the safety of residents during the festive season. 

“There is a more that still needs to be done. We call on all technical experts, businesses and civil society to join us in the fight against this pandemic” said Mayor Phalatse  

Issued by the City of Joburg