JTG-D Trust take the initiative to educate the public about Covid-19.

The Corona Virus caught us all out of guard, however even though it seemed like the South African government response to the pandemic was slow at first, the government’s decision to put the country under the national-wide lockdown was a wise one given that it was implemented earlier, compared to other countries that introduced it only when they had lost the control of the epidemic.Thecountry responded positively by staying at home and there has been debates about the way the government has been responding. This article discusses the response of the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Trust towards the pandemic in Northern Cape.

Even though there is still no cure or a vaccine for the covid-19 with no proven measures to fight the pandemic, the lockdown has proven to be essential and its extension has indicated that the testing was adequate. It can also be argued that the extension allowed for the implementation of health protocols such as educating people about the use of masks and social distancing when in public.The lockdown has weakened the economy and left many without jobs and thus has put the South African government under pressure to open the economy.Some people argue for the prioritization of lives as opposed to the economy while some argue for the equal and simultaneous need to maintain both the livelihoods and the economy activities. The government then decided to move into stage 3 of lockdown, which will now allow most of the economic activities and schools.

Following the presidency’s announcement about measures that need to be taken to combat Covid-19 in stage 3, the JTG-DT responded by initiating the screening team that will be doing the screening process at both the schools and town. The trust was established to improve the lives of the people of the JTG district municipality in the Northern Cape and it is doing just that. We have seen the group of youths screening people during the social grants payouts and making sure that people maintain social distance.