Durban - Criminals are allegedly taking advantage of the coronavirus situation by coaxing people to open their doors under the pretext that they are from the Department of Health.
A social media message about a robbery in Cape Town has caused panic among residents in Durban. The message has gone viral.
KwaZulu-Natal police say they have not received any reports or robberies using the modus-operandi yet.
Netcare has been made aware that criminals are going to homes in various areas, claiming to be from Netcare or Netcare 911, and saying that they are assisting the Department of Health with door-to-door screening for Covid-19 (coronavirus).
The hospital issued a statement denying this.
"Please note that staff members from the Netcare Group, including from Netcare hospitals, Netcare 911 or Medicross medical and dental centres, are not doing door-to-door Covid-19 screening. Should someone claiming to be a representative from Netcare, Netcare 911 or Medicross arrive at your home or business premises claiming to do screening for the novel coronavirus, do not allow them onto your property or inside your business premises for your own safety but please alert the SAPS immediately."
The South African Department of Health stated that the country has 61 cases of coronavirus.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said hat while there is an increase in Covid-19 positive cases in South Africa, there is currently no evidence to suggest that Covid-19 is circulating in South Africa’s population.
The status of Covid-19 transmission is increasingly likely to shift based on trends found in other parts of the world.