Coronavirus confirmed in Amanzimtoti
Cllr confirms there are positive cases of Covid-19 in town.
The coronavirus has hit Amanzimtoti.
The SUN sought confirmation after rumours circulated on social media earlier today (Saturday, 28 March). The following response was received from Ward 97 councillor, Andre Beetge, who is part of a Covid-19 task team:
“While there have been suggestions of patients who tested positive, we are unable to confirm their names, whereabouts or the current number of cases.” Only the Health Department are tasked to disseminate Covid-19 results and no response of confirmation was forthcoming.
“We have to accept that there are people affected with the virus who are among us and that figures are in excess of the official numbers, given that not every person who is sick, but only those who meet a certain criteria, have been tested. This is evident in the daily escalation of numbers and the stringent measures that have been put in place to eliminate contamination.”
READ ALSO: Lockdown – what Amanzimtoti residents need to know
This stands as a strong warning to those who have not been taking the virus seriously and disobeying the lockdown laws. “The best advice is to treat everyone as being a potential carrier and follow all sanitary recommendations, should it become necessary to leave the sanctuary of your residence,” advised Beetge.
* 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).
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