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Clinic closes as staff member tests positive in new Covid-19 case after area has 100% recovery rate

Clinic closes as staff member tests positive in new Covid-19 case after area has 100% recovery rate.
Clinic closes as staff member tests positive in new Covid-19 case after area has 100% recovery rate.
Image: Tyler Olson/ 123RF.com

The Mpumalanga department of health on Wednesday closed a clinic after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19. 

According to MEC Sasekani Manzini, one person at the Driekoppies Clinic outside Malalane tested positive for Covid-19 and that necessitated the temporary closure of the clinic to trace all the contacts. 

All staff were in contact with the case and will have to be quarantined.

"The tracing team is busy with the tracing of patients who were in direct contact with the case,” said Manzini.

She said a temporary mobile clinic will be used from Thursday at the clinic’s premises to provide healthcare services to the community. 

“The clinic will be fumigated and will remain closed pending the outcome of the results. It is imperative that we minimise the spread of the virus at all cost. 

"We would like to apologise for any inconvenience that may be caused, however the safety of our staff and community comes first,” said Manzini.

Manzini also said that community screening and testing will continue as it is assisting to identify positive cases and prevent further spread of the pandemic. 

A community member who spoke to Sowetan said people were being turned away from the clinic on Wednesday morning. 

“We heard the rumours on Tuesday evening that there was a person who may have tested positive for Covid-19. But as a neighbour to the clinic, in the morning we saw a number of people being turned away. We were then told of the news that an employee tested positive. It’s very scary but we believe they will trace the people who might have had contact with the positive case,” said the community member who didn’t want to be named. 

Nkomazi municipality has had 20 positive cases of Covid-19 since March with a 100% recovery but the new case has scared the community. 

“We thought we were done, and at first Driekoppies never had any positive case unlike our neighbouring villages  but eish we are next now, when the whole sub-region thought we have defeated coronavirus.” 

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