The IFP urges the public to report suspicious cases of Covid-19.
This comes after 16 people tested positive for Covid-19 at General Justice Gizenga Memorial Hospital, formerly known as Stanger Hospital. The Covid-19 outbreak is believed to have started at a boarders’ lodge with a mother who did not disclose her husband was one of the recent positive cases linked to a supermarket chain store in Ballito.
If you think somebody has the novel coronavirus and hasn’t come to the attention of authorities, you have a legal obligation to report them. In fact, if you have so much as a reasonable suspicion that somebody has come into contact with a carrier of the virus behind Covid-19, you have to report that too. Reporting of cases of Covid-19 is important in the planning and evaluation of disease prevention and control programs, in the assurance of appropriate medical therapy, and in the detection of common-source outbreaks. It is profoundly important in not just fighting and mitigating this imminent risk, but also prevent the next one from attaching to us, quite literally.
Covid-19 has brought about a sense of uneasiness and uncertainty in equal measure, taking siege within our cognitive space. In this case, some fear is not only important but necessitates a shift in how we go about our lives. An encounter such as this serves to reset our moral fabric and obligation to society. It comes as a not-so-gentle reminder that the preservation of life takes precedence over our intrinsic desire to propagate self.
To fight against Coronavirus is everyone’s responsibility and with collective effort we will win this. Please follow the advice of medical experts and local medical authorities, wash your hands frequently and maintain a proper social distance. By doing so, you are indirectly supporting our medical frontliners combating the pandemic. You are not just doing it for yourself, but also your family, especially your elders and the whole world. Break the chain, let’s unite to defeat our common enemy.
Lastly, the IFP calls on the KZN MEC of Health, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu to present a well detailed plan on how she intends to prevent the spread of the virus in other provincial hospitals. She must ensure that all healthcare works in public hospitals and clinics are provided with adequate PPE. She must not wait before the corona virus is reported to any public healthcare facility to act accordingly in advance.
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Contact:
Mrs Ncamisile Nkwanyana, MPL
IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson on Health
078 302 3991