TO: Media – Mogale City and surrounds
ATTENTION: Editors and Journalists
ISSUED: Tuesday, 29 June 2021
PROVISION OF SCHEDULED WASTE SERVICES INTERRUPTED AS WASTE WORKERS TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
The municipality’s Waste Management Services hereby wishes to inform members of the public, businesses and other stakeholders affected by the non-provision of garbage collection services, that the scheduled supply of this essential service has been disrupted. This is due to several employees testing positive for Covid-19 which also tragically saw the loss of two lives.
The municipality also wishes to send its heartfelt condolences to the affected families and colleagues of employees who succumbed to the pandemic. We also wish to salute our waste workers who on a daily basis put their health at risk under trying conditions.
Last week the entire waste collection team was sent for testing and with results coming through, a few are testing positive which not only calls for isolation of the workforce but also a plan to deal with the major risk and priority areas. For now, as the Delta Covid-19 variant wreaks havoc in the West Rand which has also become Gauteng’s second highest infected region, the municipality is pressed to prioritise waste collection and disposal at government hospitals with skip bins filling up at a quick rate. Whilst we are working closely with Health Services to get immunisation for these frontline workers, truck drivers from other municipal departments have also been roped in to aid as we are pulling together the needed workforce for continued supply of services.
As the municipality endeavours to deal with infected workers and servicing priority areas such as hospitals, it is difficult to indicate when normal operations will be restored. We will however keep the public and stakeholders informed on developments on our website and through other communications channels.
Whilst apologising for this unexpected inconvenience, we further request members of the public in advance to bear with us as we work in restoring normal provision of services.
We thank you!
End
Issued by:
Mogale City Local Municipality
Waste Management Services