The region which includes Rustenburg, has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the province, something which Department spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane, says is a cause for concern. He reveals, of the 15 total cases in the province,  the most recently confirmed ones emanate from Gauteng contacts. Gauteng, has been identified as the epicentre of the outbreak in South Africa with 795 cases.

He explains the earlier cases in the province were of people in the province who travelled abroad, however the latest figures are showing a cross-provincial link. The Department appreciates the lockdown and urges people to stay at home and “avoid traveling, until this thing has cleared” cautions Lekgethwane.

This as President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced an extension of the lockdown by two weeks.

On Thursday the same department imposed stricter self-quarantine regulations, forcing private General Practitioners (GP) and hospitals in the North West to seek permission in writing from the province’s Health MEC, Madoda Sambatha to enable patients to self-quarantine at home. 

The enforcement was announced after two Covid-19 positive patients – one from Rustenburg and the other from Bloemhof – went awol following their diagnosis. The former was found in Mahikeng a week after testing positive, while the latter was found by officials at a farm near Welkom in the Free State. Lekgethwane says once Sambatha has received the written request for self-quarantine, he will send a team of clinicians to assess the suitability of the residence for self-quarantine and base his decision off of their recommendation.

On Thursday the department held the last mass screening, testing and tracing operation in the province at the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality which includes the cities of Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp. This far, about 15 098 people have been screened across three days and 16 were referred for further testing.

OFM News