PRETORIA – The department of correctional services on Monday said the number of Covid-19 confirmed cases within South Africa’s correctional services has increased by ten officials, and an additional inmate at the Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria, bringing the total number of cases to 129.
Correctional services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said containment and treating is underway in the Western Cape province, as positive cases continued to increase.
“Kgosi Mampuru II is being monitored closely as positive cases involving remand detainees are now at two. Mass screening and testing has assisted to this effect as the spread can now be contained and prevented from spreading to other sections. Positive cases for officials in the Eastern Cape are now at 35,” said Nxumalo.
The total breakdown now stands as follows:
Eastern Cape
- Officials - 35
- Inmates - 56
- One recovery
Western Cape
- Officials - 31
- Inmates - one
Limpopo
- Officials - two
- One recovery
Gauteng
- Officials - one
- Inmates - two
Pretoria head office
- Officials - one
Earlier on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed Cuban health professionals who arrived in Pretoria to support ongoing efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus across South Africa.
The 217 Cuban health specialists and workers landed in South Africa on Monday, as the country commemorated Freedom Day.
“Their arrival follows a request made by His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa to His Excellency President Díaz Canel Bermúdez of Cuba. The experts will support efforts being made in South Africa to contain the spread of Covid-19,” the Presidency said in a statement on Monday.
The group consists of experts in the fields of epidemiology, biostatistics, and public health; family physicians to guide interventions through door-to-door testing and to assist local health workers in health promotion and disease surveillance at the community level; healthcare technology engineers to assist in maintaining the inventory, deployment and repair of aged medical equipment; and experts to provide technical assistance working with local experts.
On Sunday night, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa stood at 4,546 – an increase of 185 over the previous day's figure.
The total number of tests conducted to date was 168,643, of which 7639 were done in the past 24 hours, he said in a statement.
"We regrettably report another [one] Covid-19-related death in the Western Cape, which increases the total number of deaths to 87. We convey condolences to the family and appreciate our frontline workers who treated this patient," he said.
- African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Devereaux Morkel