#Coronavirus: Masks sold out, but no Newcastle cases reported
Some pharmacists have not been able to obtain surgical face masks from their suppliers for the past month.
A media briefing will be held at Cowan House in Hilton this afternoon, to update the public on the latest developments around South Africa’s first confirmed case of COVID-19.
The 38-year old father from Hilton, who tested positive for the virus after he and his family returned from a ski vacation in Italy, has two children who attend the Midlands school. On hearing about the parent being infected, school management at Cowan House took a decision to close today and cancel any extracurricular activities planned for tomorrow.
Last night, a country club estate advised its residents that an individual living on the estate was in contact with the patient who tested positive for the virus, and has made contact with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) to be tested.
Meanwhile in Newcastle, there is not a single surgical face mask to be found in any of the pharmacies and waterless hand sanitisers are ‘flying off the shelves’, as panic seeps into the community among residents who are doubtful of the ability of public health facilities to cope with a possible outbreak.
Some pharmacists told the Newcastle Advertiser they haven’t been able to obtain stock of surgical face masks from their suppliers for the past month, as the virus spread across the globe. One pharmacist revealed that the entrepreneurially inclined bought large quantities of surgical face masks and are now selling them at 1000% profit.
Many pharmacists reported that they have not kept any surgical face masks aside for their own staff, but believe frequent hand washing and good hygiene practices are the best ways to avoid being infected anyway. They agreed a person’s best line of defence against coronavirus was their own immune system, and urged residents to take an immune booster from now so they had the best chance of fighting the virus, should there be an outbreak.
Questioned about messages and voice notes circulating on social media, claiming an infected person is being isolated at the Dundee Hospital and another was referred to Mediclinic Newcastle for treatment by the Madadeni Provincial Hospital, spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, Agiza Hlongwane chastised members of the community who ‘will do anything to set a trend or get hits on social media’.
He declined to comment further and advised that only the National Department of Health was now authorised to speak to the press about COVID-19.
National spokesperson, Popo Maja advised that he was in a meeting when the Newcastle Advertiser contacted him for comment. He was yet to respond at the time of publishing.
Tertia Kruger, Corporate Communication Manager for Mediclinic Southern Africa, said: “Mediclinic can confirm that there are currently no confirmed cases of the Novel Coronavirus at Mediclinic Newcastle.”
A staff member at the Dundee Hospital further denied there is anyone being kept in isolation at the facility.
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