The hospital's Public Relation Officer (PRO), Nico Masiu, says members of the public wishing to visit their loved ones admitted at the hospital, will only be allowed 30 minutes in the afternoon and evening (15:00 to 15:30 and 19:00 to 19:30). 

He says on Friday, Health MEC Madoda Sambatha issued an instruction that 3 medical wards be closed with immediate effect to avoid the high risk of outbreak of Covid-19. Masiu said this was necessitated by the hospital management's report that revealed that, due to the third wave of Covid-19 infections, there was an expected outbreak in three wards in Tshepong Hospital. According to the department, the province has 23 273 active cases and has recorded 2 695 related deaths.

The Klerksdorp-based Matlosana Municipality, which Tshepong is situated in, has the second highest rate of infections after Bonajala, which include Rustenburg.

"According to hospital management, the outbreak poses high risk to both admitted patients and the community. If human movement is not restricted, this could lead to increased risk of cross infection to vulnerable patients in the hospital complex.

According to Dr Dikhing Mahole, Senior Clinical Manager at the Tshepong Hospital (medical wards), an outbreak has been identified and the affected medical wards being Ward 11, Ward 13 and Ward 14 will be closed immediately," he added.

Masiu further added that all positive patients have been isolated and moved to the Covid-19 wards.

As part of the contingency plan, the management resolved to immediately resume deep-cleaning of the wards. The decontamination is done as a matter of urgency as the beds in non-Covid wards are available.

"The source of the transmission is not known.  Therefore the decision to temporarily suspend visiting hours is meant to curb the increase of Covid-19 cases as we could not know the extent or the magnitude of the risk associated with the outbreak in the hospital," Masiu alluded. Tshepong is one if the Covid-19 designated hospitals in the province.

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