18 MARCH 2020
THE VILLAGE
NEWS #ALLOVEROVERBERG
Our hills have leopard eyes!
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0800 029 999 If you display ANY SIGNS of the COVID-19 virus, don't go to your doctor, pharmacist and/or nurse and infect them or everybody in the practice. By calling the hotline, someone will come to you to have you tested for the virus.
Lots of small businesses will go out of business due to this viral outbreak. They will not survive weeks of little or zero cashflow. If you can do just one thing today, shop local and buy something from a small business. Make that effort!
DONATE If you have tickets to a live perfoming arts event which is canceled due to COVID-19, please consider donating your ticket rather than requesting a refund. The livelihood of countless perfoming arts professionals in your neighbourhood is at stake.
Field cameras in Fernkloof Nature Reserve confirm the presence of a family of Cape Mountain Leopards
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Beating the threat the Overstrand way Writer De Waal Steyn
W
hile the Coronavirus has turned the world on its head in a matter of a few short weeks, it is up to each and every one of us to be serious about containing the spread of the virus, while at the same time being equally serious about preserving our livelihoods and the lives of our fellow citizens. The harsh reality of life during a state of national disaster, as announced by Pres Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday 15 March, has slowly started dawning on the residents of the Overstrand.
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The impact on our economy began hitting home as reports of cancellations at guesthouses and hotels started flooding in. According to Tourism Manager, Frieda Lloyd the accommodation sector lost bookings worth tens of millions of Rand over the past few days and this is expected to climb even further over the coming weeks. “The knock-on effect on restaurants, planned activities, festivals and other events is tremendous and it is inevitable that the consequences will be felt throughout our whole community,” she said. While the first ripples of shock permeated the business community, several event organisers had to take the tough decision to cancel a host of events and festivals. (See pages 12 and 13 for more details.)
disappointed as we are, but we simply had no other choice. The good news is that FynArts is not going away. While all talks, concerts and workshops have been cancelled, the exhibition part of the festival will go ahead. People can still look forward to various exhibitions at art galleries, as well as the popular Sculpture on the Cliffs. “In the meantime, the festival – at least parts of it, will be re-imagined. While we all work through the hard reality of self-isolation and social distancing – new concepts we are having to learn – we are already discussing how to share a few FynArts events in the coming months. This will be done by hosting smaller concerts and talks later in the year. At the same time, we will be making some of the exhibitions and talks available to everyone to enjoy via electronic media. This will be done in partnership with The Village NEWS,” she said. The annual Passion of Christ enactment, another local favourite, has also had to be cancelled due to the restriction on gatherings of 100 people or more. This comes shortly after the event received a three-year sponsorship from the Hermanus Waterfront (formerly known as Village Square). The event has become synonymous with the Old Harbour since its inception 25 years ago.
Mary Faure, Festival Director of the FynArts Festival, said on Monday it was with deep regret that the festival’s management committee had to take the decision at an emergency meeting to cancel the event for this year.
Various shops in Hermanus have seen panic shopping by customers, with especially toilet paper, canned food and sanitisers being high on the priority list. In a bid to quell the unnecessary stockpiling, Trade and Industry Minister, Ebrahim Patel, has reassured South Africans that the recently announced port closures are only meant to limit the movement of people and will not affect the flow of goods to the country.
“I am sure that all festivalgoers will be as
The Overstrand Municipality said in a statement
yesterday that all residents need to do everything possible to avoid spreading the Coronavirus, and thus putting further strain on South Africa’s health system. According to the statement, the following measures have been put in place: COMMUNITY HALLS AND SPORT FACILITIES: • Bookings for all events and gatherings which are considered likely to exceed 100 people in attendance will be cancelled, with reimbursement • Requests for bookings of events and gatherings which are considered likely to exceed 100 people in attendance shall not be approved, until further notice • All approved events are cancelled until further notice • No new applications will be considered until further notice • Organisers of smaller events need to put strict measures of prevention and control in place • The Hawston Swimming Pool Complex is closed for public use, until further notice • As part of a bigger project, the municipality is to provide additional toilets and water taps in the Schulphoek area. TOP TIPS TO LIMIT RISK: • Wash and sanitise hands regularly • Make use of alcohol-based antibacterial hand sanitiser • Cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm or cover your nose and mouth with a tissue and throw it away • Avoid touching your face • Do not shake hands • Use stronger cleaning materials for desks, floors, lifts and handrails • Collect rubbish in bins that are covered • High-traffic public spaces need to be cleaned regularly
