Nelson Mandela Bay business community concerned about COVID-19 surge

The business community in Nelson Mandela Bay has expressed concern that little is being done to highlight the rapidly growing number of COVID-19 positive cases. The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro now accounts for 80% of infections in the Eastern Cape.

Businesses fear that this resurgence will be worse than the one experienced earlier this year, putting pressure on the healthcare system.

In the last 24 hours alone, more than 1 300 cases and 26 deaths have been reported in the province. The hotspots in Nelson Mandela Bay include Clearly Park, New Brighton, Walmer, Motherwell, Chatty, and KwaNobuhle.

Nightlife and taverns seem to be mainly responsible for the sudden rapid increase.

Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber President, Andrew Muir, says business has to also play its part.

“We need to put the same enforcement in place and the controls as they were in lockdown Level 3. As we heard our president the other day, tell us that it is really for us now as individuals to take control of this pandemic. We cannot close our economy so we need to put controls in place. It is bad, our hospitals are full from a COVID point of view.”

As businesses prepare for Black Friday, Muir says businesses need to make sure that all safety protocols are adhered to: 

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Some businesses in the metro have opted to help the local government by driving their own awareness campaigns.

“We need to adhere to the basics. We need to adhere to social distancing, wear masks, and then also make sure the safety protocols are in place in all places, whether it is at home or at work. I know that people are tired of the virus. We’ve seen that the COVID fatigue has kicked in but the sad news is we still have not found a vaccine for COVID and what that means is that COVID is going to be with us for a long time,” says the Chief Executive Officer of the vehicle manufacturing giant, Isuzu, Billy Tom

The Ministers of Health, Social Development, and CoGta are expected to descend to Port Elizabeth on a two-day visit to speak to relevant stakeholders about this matter. Report by Lwando Nomoyi