By Staff Reporter
The number of Covid-19 recoveries in North West recorded as of Thursday June 30 stands at 8256 but 81 people have succumbed to the virus.
This is according to the information posted on the North West Department of Health’s Facebook page on Friday.
The recoveries include the premier, Professor Job Mokgoro, Arts and Culture MEC Virginia Tlhapi, Public Works and Roads MEC Saliva Molapisi and the chief director for corporate services in the Department of Health, Dr Madipuo Tlhagane.
There are now 18 811 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the province.
Health MEC Madoda Sambatha has urged communities not to stigmatise Covid-19-positive patients and those that have recovered, saying there was no reason for stigma and people should not feel ashamed when diagnosed.
The duty is to offer them support, he said.
North West MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs, Gordon Kegakilwe died after a short battle with Covid-19 three weeks ago.
Kegakilwe was admitted with Covid-19-related pneumonia at the Vryburg Private Hospital where he was immediately put on oxygen.
A decision was taken the following day to transfer him to a medical facility in Klerksdorp - a two-and-a -half hour drive from Vryburg.
However, he died on arrival at the hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Covid-19 also claimed the lives of five healthcare workers in the province.
Gynaecologists Dr CJ Venter, Dr Litenye Lomalisa as well as Clinical Psychologist Florah Makama and two other nurses who were based in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District and Ngaka Modiri Molema District respectively succumbed to the Coronavirus last week
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), social stigma in the context of health is the negative association between a person or group of people who share certain characteristics and a specific disease.
The current Covid-19 outbreak has provoked social stigma and discriminatory behaviours against people of certain ethnic backgrounds as well as anyone perceived to have been in contact with the virus, WHO said.