This as Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize, has announced a Free State resident is amongst two people who tested positive for Covid-19 after being on board the MSC Orchestra Cruise Liner that travelled to the Portuguese Islands from Durban in March. Health Department spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, says the tracers in training are made up of 466 community health workers and 25 Red Cross volunteers. He reveals some of the other measures the department has introduced to intensify their efforts.

These measures include an online screening app as well as a hotline which Free Staters can call when in need of assistance or should they have any questions.

To date, the department has been able to screen a total of 2767 people with 256 tested and 966 traced. The bulk of those screened in the province attended the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast and a dinner at Divine Restoration Church in Bloemfontein from 10-11 March. The international guests at this event later tested positive for the virus.

The provincial department will be facing a massive challenge after it was revealed that the government is now seeking roughly 6000 people who boarded the two cruise liners including people from the Free State. Holiday makers are encouraged to contact the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces for screening and urgent testing.

OFM News