Valencia Covid-19 outbreak rumour is false

MBOMBELA – An ominous WhatsApp message circulating last week claimed that Valencia had been experiencing an outbreak of Covid-19.

It read: “There is an outbreak of Covid-19 within our community in Valencia Park and neighbouring areas. Community members are urged to take all the precautions and to adhere to lockdown regulations. Salaams Valencia getting very bad. Lamay’s Café closed. People have Covid quite bad. Ebrahim Khan also in hospital. Stay away from Valencia.”

Following this message, Lowvelder contacted a Valencia Park community leader, who asked not to be named. He squashed the rumours and said, “These rumours started after a school in the area closed due to someone testing positive for the coronavirus.

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“At this stage it is uncertain whether an educator or learner had contracted the virus.

“There was a couple who had attended a funeral and voluntarily tested themselves after showing flu symptoms, but their test results returned negative”.

He further added that a number of residents in the area who had contracted the flu elected to stay home and self-isolate, which may have sparked the rumours. He said there was no Covid-19 outbreak in the area.

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The Mpumalanga Department of Health spokesperson, Christopher Nobela, urged residents not to spread panic.

“The minister has highlighted that there will be a spike in cases from July to September because of the cold winter
season. There are more teams on the ground to conduct screening and more facilities have been made available for testing.

“Now testing is done at all health facilities and more quarantine sites have been made available for those who tested positive,” said Nobela.

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He added that the City of Mbombela has 653 positive Covid-19 cases with two recorded deaths and 176 recoveries.

Nobela declined to mention how many beds have been made available and where the additional quarantine facilities would be set up, at the time of going to press.

Earlier reports of mass graves being dug have added to the public’s concern about the province’s management of the global pandemic.

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According to Cogta spokesperson, George Mthetwa, the shortage of burial sites had been an issue before Covid-19.

“The provincial command council issued a directive to municipalities to identify land for burial sites not specific to Covid-19. The number of fatalities is increasing which calls for enough burial sites.

“Municipalities were requested to identify areas because in others some cemeteries were already at capacity. Covid-19 is adding to an existing problem. It has been a challenge and Covid-19 is exacerbating the problem,” said Mthetwa.

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Ward councillor, Sanley van der Merwe said a number of cases have been reported in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality (EDM), with Valencia Park not recording any more than other areas in the ward. She cautioned
against labelling the area a hotspot, which she opined would lead to vicitimisation.

“As of July 13, the number of cases in EDM increased to 868. A further 54 new cases were recorded in the City of
Mbombela, eight in Nkomazi, five in the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality and five
in Bushbuckridge.

“The City of Mbombela remains the highest with 566 cases. An increase in the number of healthcare workers is a
concern,” said Van der Merwe.

She said plans were afoot to raise awareness about the issue without causing undue alarm to Valencia Park
residents.

“We will coordinate an awareness campaign for Ward 17 that will start next week,” she concluded.