The Provincial Department of Health's spokesperson, Lebohang Majaha, says patient information is covered by confidentiality clauses between the clinical team and the patient. Majaha says in a case where the department found that the confidential information is being shared inappropriately, the department will refer the matter to the police. So far the province has about 50 active cases after 31 recoveries and 1 death were recorded from 82 reported cases. 

"We are always being asked to name where people live but we have taken the decision that the most information we can safely provide without breaching patient confidentiality is the local municipality, and sometimes the gender and age (unless the patient gives permission)," he adds. 

OFM News previously reported that two unallocated coronavirus cases in the Northern Cape have now been re-allocated to Gauteng by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD).

Majaha said the two cases from Gauteng had been wrongfully allocated to the Northern Cape. The province earlier reported several cases of Covid-19 that were interprovincial from provinces such as the Eastern Cape, Free State and Western Cape.

 OFM News