Government clinics are facing an onslaught of criticism following panicked residents thinking they were affected by the Coronavirus being turned away.
Residents have been complaining that the clinics don’t want to help them if they are worried about being infected by the rapidly spreading virus; however, that is not the case.
Ward 71 councillor, René Benjamin put those rumours to rest when she addressed her community yesterday, 17 March, saying that the clinics do want to help but can’t.
René notified residents that the government clinics aren’t equipped to diagnose the Coronavirus, and have no way of determining whether someone’s suspicions of being infected are true. She referred to an instance being spoken about widely in the ward where a man was turned away for this very reason. René continued by assuring residents that he was provided with the necessary contact numbers to seek assistance, should he feel it was necessary.
If you feel that you are affected and your symptoms are worsening, please DO NOT leave your home to get tested or for medical attention. If your concerns are true, then you will land up infecting the doctor and everyone in the doctor’s rooms, causing the virus to spread faster. Instead, call the Covid-19 hotline.
The Covid-19 hotline is available to communicate your symptoms telephonically and request diagnosis, at which point someone will come to you free of charge. Please be considerate when requesting these tests; they may be free but are expensive and should not be requested lightly. Call the toll-free hotline on 080 002 9999.
René finished off her notice by saying, “You are your best defence”.
We should be cautious and conscious, not only for our own sake, but for the safety and health of those around us as well. If you are worried, precautionary self-isolation is not a bad thing; it is better to be safe and monitor your symptoms for the 14-day period than to risk infecting someone around you.
Important information:
• Hotline: 080 002 9999
• National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) website: www.nicd.ac.za
• NICD Social Media: @nicd_sa (Twitter) or National Institute for Communicable Diseases (Facebook)
The NICD website and social media pages post regular updates on Covid-19, fake news regarding it, and important information relating to the virus.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
