Nine healthcare workers who tested positive for Covid-19 at Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Hospital in Qwaqwa, have been quarantined. This comes after an outbreak of the virus took place at the healthcare facility last week.
According to Free State Health MEC, Montseng Tsiu, the hospital has been decontaminated while other staff members were screened. The department has also begun a contact tracing operation that involves screening of loved ones of the affected health workers.
During a briefing on Tuesday, Tsiu expressed that proactive contact tracing has been instrumental in containing Covid-19 in the province. “If the virus is not contained, there is danger that it will spread like wildfire. Today, we have a better understanding of how the virus works and active contact tracing has been important in avoiding rapid spreading,” she said.
Tsiu explained that the testing of corpses has also helped to trace the virus in the community at large. “In Bloemfontein we fought Covid-19 with a lot of energy and plan to do the same for the rest of the province. The continued swabbing of corpses and tracing contacts of positive cases in the community has helped to contain the spread of often silent infection,” she added.
Last week Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Hospital has had to prohibit the visiting of patients at the institution following the outbreak. “Management takes the safety and well being of all staff, patients and visitors in the highest regard and will continuously consult with relevant stakeholders to ensure that all who enter the hospital are safe as much as possible,” stated provincial Health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi.
“We trust that our members of the public will adhere to this request and will only come to the hospital when in need of essential health care services as the hospital is not closed,” he added.
Nomaqhawe Mtebele
