It is with sadness that we have learnt about the COVID-19 related death of an employee of one of the contractors at our Vlakkeland construction site in Paarl. I would like to extend our sincere condolences to all those affected, particularly the family, friends and employer.
Given this tragic passing, we are reminded why it is so important for all of us to observe the 5 golden rules of good hygiene to stop the spread of the Coronavirus – washing our hands with soap and water, wear a cloth mask when out in public, adhere to the social distancing rules, cough or sneeze into a tissue or elbow and stay home if you are unwell.
During our recent visit to the site, the contractor had all the necessary Occupational Health and Safety protocols in place, along with temperature reading, the provision of sanitisers, record-keeping, housekeeping and cleaning of the workspace.
We were planning on handing over in excess of 50 units at the site this week. Regrettably this handover would have to be postponed until further notice.
The following steps have been instituted:
- Site closed until 10 June 2020.
- Site staff who were in close contact with the staff member, have been requested to self-isolate and should they present with symptoms should conduct a test.
- The area where the employee worked will be deep cleaned.
- Provincial Human Settlements – and Drakenstein municipal officials who might also have been in close contact with the individual have also been requested to self-isolate, should they feel they might be at risk.
We call on all contractors to continue ensuring they adhere to all health and safety protocols as issued by my department, particularly since we’re fighting an invisible enemy. By working together, we can overcome this pandemic.
