Mkhize concerned by number of health workers diagnosed with Covid-19

South African health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize. File photo: Jairus Mmutle/Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)

South African health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize. File photo: Jairus Mmutle/Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)

Published Mar 28, 2020

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Cape Town - South Africa's confirmed Covid-19 cases increased by 17 and was at 1187 on Saturday, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said.

"We must outrightly state that these numbers do not indicate a reduction in the number of infections. It is merely a reflection of positive results that were received, verified and ready for today’s reporting," Mkhize said in a statment.

Gauteng has 533 confirmed cases, Western Cape has 271, KwaZulu-Natal has 156, 68 cases in Free State, Limpopo has 11, Mpumalanga has 10 confirmed cases, North West has six and there are five cases in Northern Cape. Mkhize said 117 were unallocated.

"We have noted with concern a number of confirmed Covid-19 cases of health workers who work both in the private and public hospitals. This includes doctor and nurses. We mention this because health workers are in the frontline of this battle," he said. 

"They are exposed not only to their families but to the patients who they are meant to treat."

He said that some of the confirmed Covid-19 cases that involve health workers included Limpopo where a medical doctor tested positive after he had travelled abroad on holiday and he started experiencing symptoms on his return. 

"He immediately decided to quarantine himself. This young doctor remained in quarantine to ensure that he does not transmit the virus to other people. His 14-day quarantine period has ended and we are pleased to report that his results have now been confirmed negative."

In Mpumalanga, another medical doctor who also travelled abroad returned to the province with symptoms which emerged a few days after he returned. Mkhize said that before then, he had been having interactions with staff and patients. 

"He then tested positive and was quarantined. This led to other health workers who had come into contact with him to be screened, quarantined and tested. A decision was also made for that section of the hospital to be closed in order to disinfect it. This has been completed and it will be reopening during the course of next week," he said. 

Mkhize said in Free State, they received a report that three doctors, one nurse and one neurophysicist tested positive for Covid-19, while six medical doctors in Gauteng had been infected.

"All these health workers are in a good medical condition with most of them having mild or no symptoms. It is only one doctor in the Free State aged 70, who is in ICU. It must be emphasised that none of these health workers were infected by patients that they were treating," he said. 

"They came into contact with their family members, friends and other colleagues who had tested positive for Covid-19. All individuals who were identified as contacts of these health workers have been put in quarantine and are being monitored."

Some of the confirmed COVID-19 cases that involve health workers are as follows:

Limpopo

One medical doctor tested positive after he had travelled abroad for holiday started experiencing symptoms on his return. He immediately decided to quarantine himself. This young doctor remained in quarantine to ensure that he does not transmit the virus to other people. His 14 day quarantine period has ended.

Mpumalanga 

One medical doctor who had also travelled for a holiday abroad returned to the Province with symptoms which emerged a few days after he returned. Before then, he had been having interactions with staff and patients. He then tested positive and was quarantined. This led to other health workers who had come into contact with him to be screened, quarantined and tested. A decision was also made for that section of the hospital to be closed in order to disinfect it. This has been completed and it will be reopening during the course of next week.

Free State

The department had received a report that three doctors, one nurse and one neurophysicist have tested positive for Covid-19.

Gauteng

Six medical doctors have been infected in Gauteng.

African News Agency (ANA)

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