Water, sanitation prioritised in informal settlements to curb coronavirus
The
Ministry of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, will prioritize delivering
water and proper sanitation to public areas such as taxi ranks, bus and train
stations.
The comes after Sunday's declaration by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the country is in a state of disaster as part of the battle to curb the spread of coronavirus infections.
According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), South Africa has 62 cases of COVID-19.
Ministry spokesperson, McIntosh Polela, says Minister Lindiwe Sisulu is aware in a pandemic like the coronavirus, sanitation becomes a problem.
He adds Sisulu has also directed her department to prioritize delivering services to the rural areas and informal settlements.
"The thing about informal settlements is that they are densely populated areas and as such viruses thrive where people are in close contact," says Polela.