Staff Reporter
Free State Premier Sisi Ntombela has urged people not to discriminate against those who test positive for COVID-19 as this could reverse all efforts to contain the spread of the deadly disease.
She said such acts could result in other people not willing to disclose their condition or seeking help as they will be worried about how society would treat them.
“We are aware that the coronavirus has triggered social stigma against the people infected and the ones who have been in contact with the virus,” Ntombela as she addressed a meeting attended by Deputy President David Mabuza in Bloemfontein this Friday.
Mabuza visited the province as part of the National Coronavirus Command Council initiative that the president and his deputy should assess the state of readiness of all provinces, in terms of functionality of provincial and district coronavirus response structures.
“This stigma is provoked by anxiety, fear and confusion, but unfortunately if it’s perpetuated it will undermine the efforts to limit the spread of the disease,” Ntombela explained.
The premier said people should come forward and seek treatment when they are not feeling well so that they know their condition and help contain the spread if they test positive for the coronavirus.
“We do not want people to hide the disease and avoid seeking help from the healthcare facilities – therefore, let no one label any person because of the coronavirus,” she said.
Ntombela told the deputy president that the province — which now has 314 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 152 recoveries and nine deaths — has been hard at work to fight the coronavirus through a variety of programmes.
“We have carried out intensive public health education and awareness programmes throughout the province,” she said.
“And together with leaders of other political parties in the province, we agreed that this is not the time for politicking, but to put our people first.”
The premier said the Free State has been working closely with national departments to ensure everyone gets supports as people’s lives have been disrupted by the national lockdown put in place to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.
“. . . the province has implemented a pro-poor plan to provide the necessary support to the people that have been hardest hit by this pandemic,” she said.
“This we have done working with the relevant national departments.
“We have assisted the homeless, the elderly, the orphans and the unemployed.
“To ensure that no one is left behind, we have established a Provincial COVID-19 Business Relief Task Team so that our small businesses benefit from the announced relief packages for SMMEs.”
Ntombela added that at least 65 taxi ranks across the province have also been disinfected to ensure commuters travel safely.