Cosatu: SA vulnerable to coronavirus outbreak
The Congress of South Africa Trade Unions (Cosatu) has expressed concerns over the dangers faced by health workers following South Africa’s first positive test for coronavirus.
A 38-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal has tested positive for the deadly virus.
The trade union federation says there is a need for the Department of Health to ensure that all workers have adequate knowledge and resources so that their lives are not endangered.
Hilton school shut fears of COVID-19, officials descend
The school has closed its doors due to coronavirus fears. Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize, KwaZulu-Natal MECs for Health and Education and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) will be meeting the school's board and management. This follows their decision to shut down the school today following the announcement that a parent at the school has tested positive for COVID-19.
Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla says the public service in South Africa is not adequately equipped to deal with a potential outbreak.
“This is disturbing because the Covid -19 virus has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in January this year after it was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan.”
He says South Africa is vulnerable to the virus.
“South Africa is one of the most vulnerable countries to the coronavirus because of the high disease burden and we have immense challenges in the public health system, such as the poor state of infrastructure, management failure, patients subjected to long queues, including a shortage of health professionals.”