Johannesburg - The North West provincial government has closed five border posts with Botswana in its precautionary bid to prevent the first outbreak of the corona- virus in the platinum province.
Officials at the closed border posts have been deployed to the remaining four open border posts to strengthen the screening and detection of any cases at the provincial entry points.
This was revealed on Thursday by North West Premier Job Mokgoro when he announced his government’s state of readiness to deal with Covid-19.
The North West province has turned all its provincial, district and local health facilities into screening points for detection of the corona-virus.
While the North West has not reported a single infection, the provincial authorities have established a provincial disaster management team consisting of provincial health authorities and government officials to deal with any outbreak.
“All health facilities in the province and ports of entry are screening points, and all district and regional hospitals have established holding units,” Mokgoro said.
“The Klerksdorp-Tshepong Hospital Complex is our designated treatment centre and a 40-bed isolation ward for treatment has been prepared there.
“The hospital complex has also formed a management committee specifically for the management of Covid-19, led by the chief executive and clinical manager.”
Mokgoro said six individuals in North West had been admitted at holding facilities and tested for Covid-19 by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, and all six tests were reported to be negative.