Gauteng to offer virus testing to at-risk groups as 1,661 cases confirmed

Covid-19 testing will be offered to all vulnerable groups in Gauteng as the province hits 1,661 cases, 1,026 recoveries and 14 deaths.

“From now onwards, testing will be offered to all vulnerable groups who are most at risk of contracting the coronavirus,” Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Kwara Kekana said in a statement on Tuesday.

“These include older people, and people with other medical conditions [such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease],” she added.

In addition, these tests will be conducted even if people do not show Covid-19-related symptoms.

To date, 1,799,704 people have been screened and 25,838 tested in the province.

“Until now, tests were mainly done on people who exhibited flu-like symptoms: fever, tiredness, difficulty breathing and dry cough, including history of travel or having been in contact with someone who was confirmed positive,” Kekana said.

Premier David Makhura has committed the province to screening five million people by the end of July 2020, and to ramp up testing to 3,000 people daily.

Contacts

Of the 8,781 contacts traced, 6,179 people have completed the 14-day monitoring period with no symptoms reported and were subsequently de-isolated.

In addition, 68 people are currently hospitalised in both public and private health facilities.

Johannesburg remains the epicentre of the virus in the province with 954 cases and 620 recoveries, followed by Ekurhuleni with 360 cases and 263 recoveries, as well as Tshwane with 211 cases and 105 recoveries.

Remaining district breakdown:

Sedibeng: 21 cases and six recoveries.

West Rand: 51 cases and 32 recoveries.

Unallocated: 64

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