North West Health officials embark on mass screening campaign in Rustenburg

Health officials in the North West Province have embarked on a mass screening campaign in Rustenburg in Bojanala district where five coronavirus (COVID-19) cases were reported.

The campaign is part of a roll-out of screening, testing, and contact tracing program for COVID-19. The Bojanala district has recorded the highest number of confirmed cases in the province.

On Monday the campaign was started at Motswedi village near Zeerust in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District. Over 800 people were screened.

Three of them have been placed under self-quarantine after their screening results showed symptoms of coronavirus.

They are also expected to under-go testing.

In Rustenburg were confirmed COVID-19 cases stand at five, authorities say screening and testing will be conducted until late in the afternoon.

Below are the latest stats for COVID-19: 

Alexandra residents tested

Hundreds of residents of Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, were also tested for the coronavirus. This after a confirmed case in the sprawling township.

The Gauteng government is rolling out a mass testing drive in the province, hoping to contain the infection rate.

In the vulnerable community that is living in a densely-packed informal settlement with many socio-economic issues, elderly people in the community have become anxious following the confirmation of the confirmed coronavirus case.

“I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going to happen. People are not listening, they still going out. The children are still playing on the streets,” says pensioner, Nthombifuthi.

Gauteng Health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku says 69 testing sites have been identified in Johannesburg and vulnerable areas are targeted.

In the video below, Alex residents talk about the ongoing testing in the area:

Graphic below illustrates protective measures against COVID-19: