Cape Town - Western Cape Health Department has refuted claims that there had been a positive Covid-19 case at the Kraaifontein Community Health Centre.
This comes after a post was shared on social media spreading fake news about a confirmed coronavirus case at the clinic.
The post, which has now been removed, claimed that there had been a positive Covid-19 case at the Kraaifontein Community Health Centre. The post also stated that residents were now locked out of the health facility, accompanied by a picture of people standing outside the clinic.
This comes after a post was shared on social media spreading fake news about a confirmed coronavirus case at the clinic. Picture: Screenshot
Western Cape Health Department spokesperson, Mark van der Heever, said that facility managers on-site at the hospital confirmed that there had been no such case and that the clinic was not under lockdown.
Van der Heever said that the health centre was instead following directives from the department to invite a certain number of persons into the facility at a time.
"We urge the public not to spread these rumours as it can lead to anxiety and public panic," he said.
The department is also urging people who want to be informed about the coronavirus to visit www.westerncape.gov.za for up to date, verified and credible information.
Premier Alan Winde earlier this month issued a statement encouraging people to verify all and any information they receive pertaining to the virus, before sharing the information with others.
“Spreading false information and sharing rumours will cause people to panic, which in-turn will only make responding to the situation more difficult,” said Winde.
Numerous resources have been made available to the public regarding COVID-19. These include:
The NICD Hotline on 0800 029 999 operates seven days a week, 24 hours a day
The Western Cape Provincial Government Hotline on 021 928 4102
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019