The Bo-Kaap community has recorded its third case of Covid-19.
Faizah Abrahams, 78, tested positive after she was screened and tested during the campaign that started last Tuesday, April 7, and is still under way in the area.
The provincial Department of Health had started the screenings and testings for Covid-19 on Monday April 6, in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize’s announcement of the programme.
The screenings are conducted door-to-door by trained field workers using simple verbal questions to identify people who may require testing.
Ms Abrahams’ family said their mother is currently in hospital and in isolation. They said the family had the matter under control and were in close contact with the Department of Health.
“We’ve already informed them about the people our mother was in contact with recently and we’re all in quarantine,” they said.
The family urged the Bo-Kaap Community Response Team, an initiative started by organisations in the area to support residents while the virus remains a threat, to inform and educate the community about the matter so they take all the precautionary measures.
“We strongly appeal to the residents to remain indoors and in self-isolation to minimise the risks of the virus affecting others,” they said.
The latest case follows the death of 81-year-old Bo-Kaap resident Kulsum Cassiem on Saturday, April 4.
The community response team said Ms Cassiem was treated for pneumonia and tested positive for Covid-19.
Shortly before that, 73-year-old Mogamat Salie tested positive for Covid-19 and he was the first confirmed case in the area. Mr Salie tested positive after visiting the hospital. He has since been discharged after his condition stabilised and is currently in isolation.
The co-ordinator of the Bo-Kaap Community Response Team, Mustarah Adams, said they were still not sure how the residents had contracted the virus.
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country stood on 2 272 on Monday April 13, with 27 deaths. The Western Cape had 628 confirmed cases with eight deaths.
In a statement released on Monday, Premier Alan Winde said the province had seen an uptick in the number of community transmissions. “We call on all our residents to take precautions measures to keep themselves and their families safe. We also call on businesses that are opened at this time, to take hygiene seriously in order to protect their staff and clients,” he said.
Mr Winde encouraged residents to do screenings and testing as they help the officials to identify pockets of infection and allow their contact tracing teams to act quickly and work to curb the spread of the virus. “Screening and testing are especially important in communities which are densely populated and in those with high numbers of vulnerable populations such as the elderly or people with underlying medical conditions,” he said.
