Eastern Cape and US work together on Covid-19

As Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane continues to work while in quarantine  he held a virtual meeting with US consul general Virginia Blaser during which they agreed to work together to fight against Covid-19 in the Eastern Cape.

On Monday, Blaser thanked Mabuyane for the opportunity to work with the province.

“As we discussed today, our governments have been working hand-in-hand for nearly two decades to improve the health of the people of the Eastern Cape.  

“In fact, the work that we’ve done together on HIV/Aids testing, treatment, and care through the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) has built a platform of deep co-operation that has allowed us to rapidly deploy resources here in the Eastern Cape to fight Covid.  

“Through our existing Pepfar structures, the US government has supported over 250 community health-care workers in the Eastern Cape in conducting Covid-19 screening while also continuing their HIV-related activities.

“The US has committed to donate up to 1,000 ventilators to SA [and] we are working now to respond to the needs of individual provinces to ensure that these life-saving devices are deployed where they need to be when they need to be there,” Blaser said.

Blaser said the US was in the fight with the Eastern Cape.

Mabuyane said he appreciated the commitment that the US government had been showing in supporting vulnerable people.

“We’ve been on the ground working with the poorest of the poor in fighting HIV/Aids and all other infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.

“That work on its own has been commendable. We also appreciate your further commitment to reroute your resources in helping us to confront this world [wide] pandemic that is really ravishing our communities.

“You’ve been working in Alfred Nzo, Buffalo City Municipality ... we welcome you for that especially with your team of epidemiologists and all other resources including the ventilators that we need,” Mabuyane said. 

Mabuyane said he was looking forward to joining hands to collaborate further.