| Fire education efforts take centre stage | The City's emergency services conduct hundreds of education and awareness outreach events each year around fire risks and mitigation, but it is a shared responsibility. | <p>Cape Town experiences an increase in vegetation fires over the warmer months, which is why the Fire & Rescue Service makes additional resources available during this time.</p><p>The Service recorded a marginal percentage increase in both vegetation and residential fires over the past four months. <br></p><table cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="ms-rteTable-default"><tbody><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:33.3333%;">Incident Type<br></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:33.3333%;">October 2021 - January 2022</td><td class="ms-rteTable-default" style="width:33.3333%;">October 2022 - January 2023<br></td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default">Vegetation fires<br></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">5 331<br></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">6 024<br></td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default">Formal residential fires<br></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">619<br></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">644</td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default">Informal residential fires<br></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">841<br></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">893</td></tr><tr><td class="ms-rteTable-default">Fatalities<br></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">62<br></td><td class="ms-rteTable-default">80</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br></p><p>'Cape Town has been experiencing very warm and windy conditions this summer. Not only does it raise the risk of vegetation fires, but the wind accelerates any fire, whether vegetation or residential. It also impacts on our ability to get aerial support to go where needed as the helicopters stay grounded when the wind is too strong, and it increases the time spent working to extinguish fires.</p><p>'Where our residential fires are concerned, we cannot discount the possibility that load-shedding had a hand in some of these incidents, both in formal and informal settings. Fire safety should always be a priority, and load-shedding is an added complication. I'm also concerned about the number of fatalities recorded. More than half of people who succumb to fires are adult males, and many of these fatal incidents occur late at night or in the early hours of the morning,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.</p><p><strong>FIRE SAFETY EDUCATION</strong></p><p>Between October and December 2022, the Fire and Rescue Service's Fire Life Safety section conducted 91 education interventions, ranging from visits to businesses and religious institutions to informal settlements, schools and senior citizen care facilities.<br></p><p><span></span></p><figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/fire%20education_awareness.jpeg" alt="" style="width:1069px;" /></figure>The Disaster Risk Management Centre (DRMC) too held a number of door-to-door campaigns, loud-hailing exercises, exhibitions at various events and schools, as well as providing fire safety guidance and awareness to residents in at least 70 informal settlements. The DRMC is assisted by the Public Emergency Communication Centre, Law Enforcement and the City's Public Participation Unit.<p></p><p>These education efforts are ongoing, and one of the most recent door-to-door campaigns took place in Lwandle, Strand, on 26 January 2023. </p><p><span><figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/Kgotso%20Nketu%20and%20DRMC%20Volunteer%20Jamahl%20Solomons%20.jpg" alt="" /></figure></span>'Our emergency services conduct hundreds of education and awareness outreach events each year around fire risks and mitigation, but it is a shared responsibility. Home-owners and families have to ensure that they are alert at all times to any potential fire risks, but also what to do in the event of a fire or emergency,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.</p><p>Tips around fire awareness include:</p><ul><li>Maintaining your home's electricity infrastructure and using only accredited electricians</li><li>Keeping flammable materials away from children or heat sources</li><li>Having an evacuation plan and sensitising the household to it</li><li>Switching off non-essential appliances when not in use</li><li>Not overloading electrical sockets and multi-plugs</li><li>Not leaving open flames, stoves or heaters unattended</li><li>Checking your load-shedding schedule and switching off all appliances, and particularly the stove, before the power goes out<br><br> A comprehensive list of fire safety tips is available here: <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/safety-in-the-home/basic-household-safety/fire-safety">https://www.capetown.gov.za/Family%20and%20home/safety-in-the-home/basic-household-safety/fire-safety</a><br><br> Residents are also encouraged to save the City's Public Emergency Communication Centre number on their cellphones, and to call them in case of an emergency. The number is 021 480 7700.<br></li></ul><p><br></p> | 2023-02-04T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Campaign kicks off to halt measles outbreak | Officials from the City of Cape Town’s Health Department are joining a national campaign to curb a measles outbreak.
| <div>The Western Cape has not experienced a measles outbreak, but there have been five reported cases in the province.</div><div><br></div><div>The national vaccination drive aims to limit the impact of the outbreak experienced in parts of the country. </div><div><br></div><div>Children between the ages of six months and 14 years and 11 months will receive an additional measles vaccination at schools, crèches and City of Cape Town clinics. </div><div><br></div><div>‘The measles vaccine is very effective at preventing measles, especially when there is a high level of population coverage (over 92% coverage is needed to prevent outbreaks). Currently, children receive the first measles vaccination at the age of 6 months and the second one at 12 months, as part of the national immunisation schedule. However, some children do not receive these vaccinations for a host of reasons. The result is that, every few years there is an outbreak, sometimes even a full-blown epidemic. While we have a good vaccination programme in our country, to ensure adequate vaccine coverage and to prevent outbreaks or epidemics, vaccination campaigns, such as this one, are conducted,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia Van der Ross.</div><div><br></div><div>In the coming days, City Health staff will visit public schools and crèches to drop off the measles campaign pamphlets and consent forms.</div><div><br></div><div>If a child is absent on vaccination day, parents or caregivers can take the child to their nearest clinic where the additional measles vaccine will be administered.</div><div><br></div><div>From 3 October 2022 to 21 January 2023, 406 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported in five provinces with declared measles outbreaks.</div><div><br></div><div>This figure excludes the five cases recently confirmed in the Western Cape.</div><div><br></div><div>Measles is a highly contagious disease, which is spread by contact with infected droplets that come from the mouth or nose of an infected person when they breathe, cough or sneeze.</div><div><br></div><div>It is predominantly a childhood disease, however, adults can contract the virus.</div><div><br></div><div>The symptoms include:</div><div><ul><li>A high fever</li><li>Runny nose</li><li>Cough</li><li>Red and watery eyes</li><li>A rash that starts appearing after the fever. It looks like small, red, flat spots and starts on the face and upper neck. The rash fades after 5 or 6 days</li></ul></div><div>Tips to care for a child at home who may have measles:</div><div><ul><li>Keep your child away from other people until the rash has cleared up for four days</li><li>Keep the room dark where your child is resting</li><li>Make sure they drink a lot of clean water</li><li>Eat healthy, fresh foods</li></ul></div><div>‘The measles vaccine is safe and effective, and provides lifelong immunity against the disease. We can protect our children from serious complications such as diarrhoea, dehydration, middle ear infection, brain infection (encephalitis), blindness and even death. The vaccine is free at all City clinics so let’s do all we can to ensure they have a healthier future,’ added Councillor Van der Ross.</div><div><br></div><div>If your child experiences any major discomfort as a result of the vaccine, visit the nearest doctor or clinic.</div><div><br></div><div><strong>End</strong><br></div><div> <br></div><p><br></p> | 2023-02-04T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| ICC T20 Women’s World Cup less than a week away | The tournament, the first ever on African soil, kicks off on Friday, 10 February 2023. | <p>The captains of all participating teams were gifted a 'piece of South Africa' as a memento and a reminder of their experience in Cape Town.</p><p>The players also had the opportunity to mingle with each other and take in the scenic beauty at Maiden's Cove before they battle it out this coming week. </p><p><span></span></p><figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/DSC_9896.jpg" alt="" style="width:722px;" /></figure>In the week ahead, the teams will go their separate ways, ahead of the tournament, which is set to start on Friday, 10 February until 26 February. Some of the teams will head to the other host cities, Gqeberha and Paarl. <p></p><p>The host nation, South Africa, and Sri Lanka will kick off what will be an exciting 15 days of world class cricket action at Newlands Cricket Ground this Friday. </p><p>'It is a pleasure to welcome all participating nations to Cape Town and we are thrilled to be hosting them in our beautiful city. Hosting Africa's first ever international women's cricket event in our city is testament to Cape Town's ability to successfully stage major international events. Our support for the T20 Women's World Cup forms part of the City of Cape Town's contribution to efforts aimed at elevating the status of women's sports and providing as many platforms for athletes to showcase their skills. We wish all the players, officials, the fans, Cricket South Africa and the ICC a successful tournament,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith. </p><p><span><figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"><img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/DSC_9918.jpg" alt="" style="width:895px;" /></figure></span>Newlands Cricket Ground will host 12 matches including two semi-finals and the final.</p><p>Tickets for the games are available from as little as R30 here <a href="https://bit.ly/3e3KfID">https://bit.ly/3e3KfID</a></p><p> </p><p></p> | 2023-02-04T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Proactive water savings: Know your numbers to keep track of your usage | Cape Town needs to reduce collective water usage, to stay below the proactive water savings target of using less than 850 million litres of water daily. Knowing how to read your water meter and monitoring it is a simple way of keeping track of how much water is being used on your property, and can help prevent water wasted through undetected leaks and avoid unexpected high bills. | <p>Let’s be water-wise and work together to use less water now. </p><p>We need to do this because Cape Town experienced below-average rainfall in 2022 and dam levels are now 62% and dropping every week. There is a real risk of another below-average winter rainfall season ahead, so we need to keep our dams fuller for longer. Also, sustained high stages of load-shedding can disrupt drinking water production and reticulation, which may affect high-lying residential properties in particular. So we need to keep our reservoirs fuller for longer too. See more here: <a href="https://bit.ly/3wQLtwj" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3wQLtwj </a><br></p><div>‘More than 680 000 meters are recording the amount of water being used at properties all across the city. Regularly reading their own meters can help residents identify increases in water usage that could signify a leak. This avoids unwanted surprises when the next monthly bill arrives. </div><div> </div><div>‘We want to equip our residents by sharing tips on how to read your water meter to check how much you're using, or to confirm a leak. This helps monitor and manage their usage. There are also useful tips on how to find and fix leaks on your property as well as top 10 ways how to use less water in your homes this summer. </div><div> </div><div>‘Team Cape Town, let’s all do the right thing and work together to stay below the collective daily usage target of 850 million litres. We are in this together so we are all encouraged to manage our water usage responsibly,’ said Councillor Siseko Mbandezi, acting Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.</div><div> </div><div><strong>How to read my meter?</strong></div><div><ul><li>Open your water meter box. If the lid is closed, you can usually open it with something like a screwdriver.</li><li>No matter what type of water meter it is, the black numbers represent thousands of litres, called kilolitres, and red numbers represent litres.</li><li>Water charges are based on the number of kilolitres of water used on the property every month. If you are submitting your own readings to the City (e.g. if your meter is difficult for meter readers to access), you only need to supply the black numbers when submitting your reading.</li><li> Water meters continually record the amount of water that passes into a property throughout the lifespan of the meter. The tally on the meter does not reset from month to month. Subtract the previous reading from your current reading to determine usage for the period between readings. <br></li></ul></div><div><strong>Monitoring your meter readings to check how much you're using or to confirm a leak</strong></div><div><ul><li>Check how much the numbers on the meter increase to see how much water is being used. Monitor this on a regular basis e.g. weekly or monthly, and keep a written record.</li><li>To check if you have a leak, first stop all water use in the house and note how much the meter reading is. Then wait about 15 minutes, and check the meter reading again. If the numbers have gone up, it means you probably have a leak.<br></li></ul></div><div>For more information on how to read your meter, see these videos and leaflet/s and other materials in three languages at www.capetown.gov.za/savewater: </div><div> </div><div><strong>English:</strong> <a href="https://youtu.be/9LCaf2tkyDI" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/9LCaf2tkyDI</a></div><div><strong>Afrikaans:</strong> <a href="https://youtu.be/rl2q3ydEpq4" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/rl2q3ydEpq4</a><br></div><div><strong>IsiXhosa: </strong><a href="https://youtu.be/xj0JXKhU57w" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/xj0JXKhU57w</a><br></div><div><strong>Leaflet: </strong><a href="https://bit.ly/3rWORCF" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3rWORCF</a> <br></div><p><br></p> | 2023-02-04T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
