The private sector has heeded the call to assist the government to fight the spread of the coronavirus. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday 30 March that the country had 1326 confirmed cases of Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Three people have died.
The latest private sector company to donate services is Jaguar Land Rover South Africa who has made 11 vehicles available to the South African Red Cross Society (SARCS) in order to keep the organisation mobile in its efforts to control and minimise the spread of the disease.
JLR says Red Cross volunteers across the country will use the vehicles and be deployed to critical areas where they will engage communities and educate on how the virus is transmitted and how to avoid risks. The main focus areas for SARCS will be on hygiene promotion which entails, hand washing and sanitising techniques, information dissemination and awareness creation, demystifying myths on COVID-19, and the distribution of masks and gloves.
The vehicles will also help the Red Cross in its crucial role of contact tracing. Trained volunteers will identify those who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, test those people, and then trace their footsteps to identify anyone they have been in contact with if they test positive.
In addition to these activities the Red Cross will provide support to affected families, distribute food parcels, buy groceries and feed homeless people.
The South African Red Cross Society relies on funding and support from the private sector for disaster response and mitigation initiatives. Donate online at www.redcross.org.za/donate/