Health
(1) Whether her Department supports the decision to allow supporters back into stadiums; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details and (b) what are the envisaged benefits of this;
(2) whether she has had any engagements with the provincial Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport to manage the spread of COVID-19 in these sporting events; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details, (b) what (i) is the number and (ii) are the details of the meetings held and (c) what are the details of the plans to manage the spread?
1. The Department supports outdoor activities and for people to participate in a safe manner.
[a] Scientific evidence has proven that COVID-19 spreads to aerosol particles and that the risk of outdoor transmission of COVID-19 is very low. Thus, outdoor sporting events should not be impacted as long as the activity is outdoors with an unobstructed flow of fresh air. The safety is further enhanced if people do provide vaccination proof [with a further reduced risk of transmission] and continue to protect themselves by wearing masks in crowded spaces. However, any activities that take place indoors, should comply with prescribed safety precautions of distancing and mask wearing].
[b] Fresh air reduces your chance of contracting COVID-19, with the additional safety measure of mask wearing increasing your safety, especially when in crowded spaces. Another benefit is also that live sporting events and supporters being able to attend also supports our economy. A clear plan for ending universal indoor masking and conditions where masking is required needs to be developed.
2. [a] The Western Cape Cabinet is kept informed of all COVID-related developments at regular Cabinet meetings which is attended by all Provincial Ministers.
[b] [i][ii] As per regular Cabinet meetings.
[c] The Department has established warning triggers in place with increased oxygen and bed capacity which has been established across the previous four waves of COVID-19. As part of the Western Cape Cabinet’s comments on the Draft Health Regulations relating to surveillance and control of notifiable medical conditions, we have commented that we should normalise our response to COVID-19 under existing public health measures. These measures have proven to be successful in the past, irrespective of the notifiable disease.
As part of the latest regulations, the President announced that both indoor and outdoor venues can now accommodate up to 50% of their capacity provided that the criteria for entrance are proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test not older than 72 hours.
