Don’t prank call coronavirus hotline, urges NICD

THE National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has urged members of the public to stop prank calling the Covid-19 public hotline number.

To date the hotline has recorded high call volumes from the public with more than 325 000 calls received to date.

The call comes after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Africa increased to 202 (an increase of 52 new additional COVID-19 cases).

Due to the high call volumes, the NICD have added two additional hotline numbers to capacitate and upscale the timeous response of inquiries for the public and doctors.

“Clinicians can now contact the new clinicians’ hotline number on 0800 11 1131 for doctors only, and in addition to 0800 029 999 the public can also contact the public hotline number on 0800 111 132.

“We have recorded a high number of prank calls, and we wish to urge the public to desist from such behaviour as it takes away resources from those who need them the most,” the NICD said in a statement.

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