Four Cape Town metro cops among over 1 000 Covid-19 cases in province
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Western Cape Premier Alan Winde Picture: Supplied Western Cape Premier Alan Winde Picture: Supplied
Cape Town - Four metro police officers are among the 1 068 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, of which 856 were within the Cape Town metro.
Three of the officers were from the Transport Management Centre (TMC) in Goodwood and one from its facility in Khayelitsha, City of Cape Town Priya Reddy said.
On Monday, the City reported the Khayelitsha officer tested positive over the weekend and was in isolation. All staff that had been on shift with him recently had gone into self-isolation for a few days.
Staff were operating from a caravan outside the metro police building in Khayelitsha.
"Both of these facilities were evacuated on receipt of the information, and deep cleansed and sanitised as per the health and safety protocols.
"Staff were relocated for the time being, and in the case of the TMC, the building is now operational again," Reddy said.
"The facility in Khayelitsha will be opened by (Thursday), if all goes as planned.
"All employees who may have had contact with the officers are currently in isolation and have been tested as well. We are awaiting the outcome of the results."
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde confirmed on Wednesday afternoon the total recoveries in the province from the coronavirus were 229. The number of fatalities stood at 22.
The Western Cape also recorded five new deaths, which include three men, aged 43, 49 and 79, and two women, aged 54 and 95.
KwaZulu-Natal had the most new cases, with 87, followed by the Western Cape with 69, the Eastern Cape with 32 and Gauteng with 25.
The Western Cape government’s scenario planning shows that, at its peak, the province expects about 80 000 people to be infected and symptomatic.
About 90% of these will recover at home, but it anticipates a shortfall of 1 000 beds in acute cases and 750 beds in critical care.
"We are planning field hospitals to account for the need for acute beds, but even in the best-case scenario and with private beds, we will have a shortfall in critical care beds, which is driven by a shortage in critical care nurses.
"This is why it is so important that every person continues to play their part in flattening the curve, so that our healthcare system can manage with the increase in Covid-19 patients. Every single person has a role to play," Winde said.