Covid-19: Screenings at Polokwane homes kick off
The members should be deployed from 08:00 to 17:00 daily
POLOKWANE – Household screening for Covid-19 started in the province on 14 April.
Instructions have been issued to SAPS members as to how the process should be executed and what their responsibilities would be by the Office of the Provincial Commissioner, on Monday.
Cluster and Station Commanders have been instructed to liaise with team leaders of the Department of Health to ensure proper coordination.
Each team of the department will be accompanied by an SAPS vehicle with two members who should always be in uniform to make the community members feel safe and also to ensure the safety of the departmental team members.
SAPS members were instructed to stay in the background and not to dominate or get involved in the screening activities.
When requested to do so, they should escort the ambulance or other vehicle to transport a patient or any person that needs to be tested.
If someone refuses to be screened the SAPS members should not physically engage with any person, use force or use inappropriate language. They should only act in support of the Department of Health, which will apply a court order where necessary.
Police members should always keep a distance of 1,5 metres from each other and household members. Where available, two traffic and two SADF members may join the teams.
The members should be deployed from 08:00 to 17:00 daily and the Department of Health will provide SAPS members and others with Personal Protection Equipment. The local media liaison officers are to ensure that the community is informed of the visits through radio stations.
