Shivambu calls for health department, NICD to publicise SA’s infected demographics

Economic Freedom Fighters MP Floyd Shivambu says the department of health and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) should “publicise South Africa’s infected demographics”.

This comes after reports emerged that more black people in the United States of America (US) were dying from the coronavirus (Covid-19) than other ethnic groups.

Shivambu commented on the issue on his Twitter account saying that due to poverty, black people in the US were at higher risk of dying from the virus.

“The socioeconomic conditions, access to healthcare, and the intergenerational poverty of black people in America place them at higher risk of the respiratory syndrome, Covid-19,” he said.

“Without revealing the names, the health department and NICD should publicise SA’s infected demographics,” Shivambu added.

South Africa has 1,749 confirmed Covid-19 cases and one more death in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), bringing the total number of deaths from the coronavirus to 13.

The 60-year-old man, who died at a private healthcare facility in Durban, had stage four cancer, confirmed the minister.

Mkhize further highlighted that he was concerned about St Augustine’s Hospital in KZN, where quite a number of healthcare professionals tested positive.

“We are concerned about developments at St Augustine’s Hospital, where 66 people tested positive over the past few days, 48 of these are staff.

“The provincial department is engaging the hospital about closing parts of the hospital down,” Mkhize said.

“We must now trace all the contacts. It is a matter of serious concern and we are dealing with it.”

The socioeconomic conditions, access to healthcare, and the inter generational poverty of black people in America places them in higher risk of the the respiratory syndrome, COVID-19. Without revealing names, the @HealthZA and @nicd_sa should publicize SA’s infected demographics. https://t.co/kinkvZOOb1

— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) April 8, 2020

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