Six miners test positive in Rustenburg, says NW health dept

Six miners tested positive for Covid-19 at the Impala Platinum Mine in Rustenburg, the North West department of health confirmed on Wednesday.

“Five (of the miners) are from the Eastern Cape and one is from Gauteng,” the department said.

In addition, 638 miners have been tested. Fifty-six miners are currently under quarantine at the mine hospital, while one is in isolation.

The MEC for health in the province, Madoda Sambatha, visited the mine on Wednesday to monitor its workplace compliance.

“Our visit in Impala has given us a new experience, and what we have been presented with, we are happy,” he said in an EWN report.

“We are only at 50% (employees), which is 21,000 miners, so if they are doing well with these numbers, they can do well at 100%,” he added.

Daily update:

As of Thursday, 28 May, the total number of confirmed cases in the North West was 128, an increase of 13 from the previous report.

An additional six recoveries were recorded in the province, which brings the total recoveries to 45.

“The recoveries were recorded in the Bojanala [district],” the department said in its daily update.

In addition, the three unallocated cases, which appeared in the previous report, have now been allocated to the Limpopo Province during the process of data harmonisation and the availability of further information.

During the period of 23 to 25 May, the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district reported a cluster of 10 cases linked to the same geographical area and workplace.

“An additional four cases linked to this cluster were reported on the 26 May,” the department added.

Although the Bojanala district has the highest number of cases – 60 out of the total 128 – the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district accounts for the most active cases, which is 60 out of a total of 80 cases.

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