Understanding our history and heritage

City ready to vaccinate 2 500 healthcare workers

There is a global effort under way to bring the Covid-19 pandemic to an end

‘There is a global effort under way to bring the Covid-19 pandemic to an end. A key component of this is the administering of the vaccine to approximately two thirds of the population. These vaccines have been shown to reduce symptomatic disease and it is hoped they will reduce infection rates, in turn saving lives and once administered in sufficient quantity, will allow the restrictions on our movement and the economy to be removed,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.Following engagements with the National and Provincial Departments of Health, the National Covid-19 Vaccination Campaign started in the Western Cape last week at three hospitals. These are Groote Schuur, Tygerberg and Khayelitsha District. Karl Bremmer became a vaccination site yesterday.City nurse Sister Nombini Ndzishe, the HIV/TB programme manager at Luvuyo clinic in Khayelitsha, was one of the first healthcare workers to be vaccinated alongside the President on the day the vaccination campaign was launched.Since the start of the vaccination campaign, a number of healthcare workers employed at these hospitals and the private sector have been vaccinated. ‘Access to vaccines is equitable and this means that frontline health care workers across all platforms are able to take the vaccines and not only the staff at the above mentioned hospitals. While it is strongly recommended that healthcare workers consider taking the vaccine, they will be allowed to make an informed decision as to whether or not they will accept or refuse it,’ said Councillor Badroodien.Continued tranches of the vaccine will arrive in two weekly intervals until the end of March 2021. The second tranche of vaccines is expected to arrive in the province on Saturday.‘Vaccination is our primary method of prevention and reducing the rate of infection. We cannot let our guard down and until we reach the point where everyone can be protected, we must all continue to follow the Covid-19 safety protocols. Wear your mask, sanitise your hands regularly and maintain social distancing of 1,5 metres at all times,’ added Councillor Badroodien.Fatality Management There was a significant 25% decline in the total demand for burials from last week with 30 Covid-19 related burials.The highest recorded burials were at Maitland (95), Welmoed (56) and Klip (Grassy Park) (40).‘City cemeteries are open for families to visit, to clean graves and do memorial work provided that they continue to adhere to health protocols. The busiest days remain weekends and families are advised to visit on weekdays when there is more space for social distancing,’ added Councillor Badroodien.Residents are reminded to: <ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">Consider weekday burials and alternative burial methods</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Limit funeral and graveside attendance to 50 persons</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Strictly adhere to Covid-19 protocols (social distancing, wearing masks, hand sanitising)</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Stay home if they feel unwell or have been exposed to a Covid-positive individual</div></li></ul> End

2021-02-23T22:00:00Z

Mayor Plato welcomes SA’s listing among Conde Naste’s 2021 Best Holiday destinations

The listing of South Africa as a top travel destination for 2021 is great news for Cape Town

* Note to Editors: The second and third pictures are from the archive and taken before Covid-19The listing of South Africa as a top travel destination for 2021 is great news for Cape Town and with all the City’s plans in place to welcome visitors back to our shores, we are well-positioned to support our local tourism sector. Mayor Dan Plato says to support the continued appeal of Cape Town as a tourist hotspot there are ongoing plans to promote our beautiful city as a remote working hub, particularly for international travellers to use their time here as a balance between work and leisure. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/Aquarium01September2020.jpg" alt="" style="width:949px;" /> </figure>‘I am pleased to see that Cape Town and South Africa continue to be seen as sought after locations for visitors. The global Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on international travel and tourism all over the world, but there is still much to be seen and experienced as innovation becomes the focus of recovery. International travellers could soon use our city as a base for remote working as the landscape of working changes, allowing for a new approach to how business is done. As the tech hub of the continent, we are well-suited to offer the remote worker a suitable base of operations, while being able to enjoy all the attractions and sites of our beautiful city,’ said Executive Mayor Dan Plato. As recently announced by Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, the City of Cape Town has a strategy to promote remote working with this week’s launch of the Digital Nomad initiative to encourage domestic and international audiences to consider Cape Town as a future remote destination for work with Covid-19 safety protocols in place. This is in partnership with Cape Town Tourism. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/DSC_1723.jpg" alt="" style="width:949px;" /> </figure>Cape Town is also one of the first major metros in the country to receive the Safe Travel Stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council, which provides further incentive for remote working. ‘With thousands of residents relying on the tourism industry – from hotel and B&B staff, to coffee baristas, restaurant staff, tour guides, operators and many others, we need to get visitors back to our shores. I am very pleased to see that my colleagues as well as the industry are thinking out of the box to ensure the recovery of this critical sector,’ added Mayor Plato.The City of Cape Town is engaging national government for a possible Remote Working Visa to boost the tourism industry, which could create more commercial and job opportunities. Stemming from the City’s Tourism Task Team, stakeholders in the sector and official destination marketing organisation, Cape Town Tourism, a ten-point strategy has been developed to help the tourism industry adapt and survive in the challenging months to come. <figure class="subtopic-fullsize-img"> <img class="responsive" src="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/cityassets/Media%20Centre/MayorCableCarSept2019.jpg" alt="" style="width:949px;" /> </figure>To view a presentation on the ten-point tourism strategy, click here: <a href="https://bit.ly/3rHrY4I" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3rHrY4I</a>Caption 1: Two Oceans Aquarium CEO Michael Farquhar, the City’s Executive Mayor Alderman Dan Plato and Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, Alderman James Vos tour the reopened aquarium last year to mark Tourism Month.Caption 2: Executive Mayor Dan Plato greets visitors at Cape Town International Airport.Caption 3: Executive Mayor Dan Plato takes the Table Mountain Cableway.End

2021-02-23T22:00:00Z

City and partners complete successful animal sterilisation in Tafelsig

The mass sterilisation campaign was managed by the Cape of Good Hope SPCA on behalf of the City’s Health Department.

The mass sterilisation campaign was managed by the Cape of Good Hope SPCA on behalf of the City’s Health Department. The SPCA is a key member of CAWF. ‘The City of Cape Town is proud to be associated with this campaign, which ultimately contributes towards the well-being of animals in our suburbs. We initiated the first sterilisation project in 2013 by providing grant-in-aid funding to the SPCA and its animal welfare partners. Areas are identified each year and with the cooperation of communities, our animal welfare partners play a vital role in maintaining a healthy domestic pet population. We all have a responsibility to care for our pets, and to be responsible owners. By doing so, we ensure a healthy environment in communities,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien. Over the past five years, CAWF completed animal sterilisation programmes in the following areas and the the list below shows the year, area and number of animals sterilised: 2016 – Atlantis – 1436 2017 - Atlantis – 1443 2018 - Wallacedene- 1448 2019 - Bloekombos and Wallacedene – 1500 2020 – Tafelsig - 1500 The areas are identified based on best practice and a needs analyses. Since the start of the project in 2013, 11 842 animals have been sterilised. Some of the most important benefits of sterilisation include:<ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">Fewer unwanted and neglected animals.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Males no longer stray when females are in season.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Fewer stray cats and dogs euthanased annually. </div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">A smaller burden on already over-crowded animal shelters.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">A reduction in the destruction of property by feral animals.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">A reduction in potentially serious or fatal injuries to people and other animals as a result of animal attacks.</div></li></ul> In addition to the above, the programme also reduces the strain on animal welfare and veterinary hospital services and mobile clinics as sterilised pets are normally healthier. Other services, such as parasite control, were not funded from the budget allocation and was carried by the participating welfare organisations or private funders. The Western Cape Department of Agriculture provided the rabies vaccinations free of charge. All the key role players and participating community organisations agreed that the project was a success. The SPCA assisted in reducing the administration costs, which allowed for more dogs to be sterilised. ‘I am so proud of the CAWF members following the completion of the City-funded sterilisation campaign. This was despite the Covid-19 pandemic, which was especially challenging as all safety protocols were adhered to at all times. This is indeed an outstanding achievement,’ said the Chairperson of CAWF, Karen de Klerk. ‘The excellent work done by our partners in the animal welfare environment demonstrates our commitment as a caring city and our willingness to work together towards a healthier and safer environment. We would like to commend not only our partners who made this programme a success, but also the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, the Animal Anti Cruelty League, the Animal Rescue Organisation, the PDSA, the Animal Welfare Society in Philippi and EnviroVet ,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith. End

2021-02-23T22:00:00Z

Cape Town secures lowest unemployment rate in last quarter of 2020

The City provides funding to Strategic Business Partners (SBPS) to help in our pursuit of inclusive socio-economic growth

The City of Cape Town, through the Enterprise and Investment Department, focuses on specific sectors which are poised for growth, and therefore best placed to attract the investment we need to create the right conditions for job creation.‘The City provides funding to Strategic Business Partners (SBPS) to help in our pursuit of inclusive socio-economic growth. I am happy to announce that in just the last quarter of 2020, our SBPs secured R230 million worth of investment, created more than 1 200 jobs and trained 630 people for work opportunities.‘Early on in the global pandemic, I convened an economic task team to design key interventions needed to help our business eco-system weather the storm. Our Economic Action Plan included relooking at how our SBPs spent the funding provided to ensure that they assisted businesses within the sectors,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, Alderman James Vos.The City’s SBPs include the Craft and Design Institute, Cape Town Fashion Council, Cape Clothing and Textile Cluster, the Cape IT Initiative, Wesgro, CapeBPO, Clotex, Cape Town Tourism, GreenCape and BlueCape. Most of these partner organisations are linked to industry sectors in which there is impressive potential for growth.‘The City is busy implementing its Economic Action Plan. This shows that where there is a will to get the basics right and to implement needed initiatives, there is a way to get our economy to build back better than before,’ said Alderman Vos. End

2021-02-23T22:00:00Z

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