The Gauteng Health Department has again reminded the public that no hospital visits are allowed for the duration of the lockdown.
It says only emergencies, surgical out-patients, pregnant women and medical out-patients who are booked to collect their medication will be allowed at hospitals.
The department is concerned that community members continue to visit in numbers at public hospitals to see their loved ones.
The department’s spokesperson is Kwara Kekana says, “We wish to inform the public that visiting times as of Thursday, 26 March 2020, have been cancelled at all Gauteng public hospitals for the duration of lockdown period.”
“Everyone will be expected to be sanitised when entering our premises and everyone will be screened for COVID-19. Depending on the outcomes of the screening, patients will be directed accordingly to triage points set up in our facilities. Lastly, anyone with respiratory symptoms will be provided with a mask.” Kekana adds.
INFOGRAPHIC: SA COVID-19 cases:
Six Gauteng healthcare workers test positive
Gauteng Health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku says six healthcare workers have tested positive for the coronavirus and are being monitored while in self-isolation. Gauteng is leading the numbers with regards to infections, totalling 584 of the overall number of 1 280.
There has been two fatalities so far from the COVID-19 infections in South Africa.
The Health Department has expressed concern over the rising number of infections in health officials.
“We’ve got six healthcare workers who have been found to be positive with COVID-19 and with the help of occupational health specialists in the department and in different facilities; we are tracing them and looking forward in making sure that they are well. Their contacts are also being traced. These six healthcare workers are not having any serious symptoms, they are on isolation now and we are looking at their situation on a daily basis,” said MEC Masuku while addressing the media in Johannesburg, on the interventions taken during the 21-day lockdown period.
Technology used for tracing
Masuku says technology is being used to successfully trace the persons who have been in contact with COVID-19 infected patients as well as to trace their movements in order to trace other potential contacts. He says they have managed to trace over 80% of contacts.
“Tracing improvement has happened; we are slightly fine tuning and making sure that our tracing capability is improved. As the Premier has indicated, we are using technology now to geo-locate everyone who is a contact and also to see their movement and where they’ve touched. Currently, we have already traced over 14 00 contacts out of 1 700, which makes that we are almost 82% in completing all those known contacts.”
In the video below, teams countrywide are tracing COVID-19 contacts:
INFOGRAPHIC: How to protect yourself from COVID-19:
