Cape Town - The Mfuleni police station Community Service Centre (CSC) has been closed since Tuesday after a police officer tested positive for the coronavirus.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo said the centre has been closed for 48 hours since Tuesday afternoon for sanitation purposes after a member attached to the Blue Downs Cluster has tested positive for Covid-19.
“The member visited the CSC after he affected an arrest. The CSC will operate from a temporary structure on the same premises as the police station and service delivery has not been compromised,” Naidoo said.
He said the Blue Downs Cluster office has also been closed and members who were in contact with the member are currently in self-isolation.
“Due process has also been followed with the detainees at Mfuleni.”
This comes in light of the Mfuleni Community Health Centre was decontaminated overnight and reopened today, after a staff member came into close contact with a person who has tested positive for Covid-19.
Western Cape Health Department spokesperson Mark van der Heever said the person arrived for screening and was tested, whereafter, the results came back positive.
“As per protocol, the facility had to screen and test all close contacts including staff. The facility was decontaminated overnight and reopened on Thursday.”
Netcare Ceres Hospital has also confirmed that their facility will re-open on Friday, for admitting patients after being temporarily closed from April 17. The emergency department will also re-open on Friday.
Netcare regional director coastal, Craig Murphy said the hospital management took immediate action after two staff members had tested positive for Covid-19, in order to contain the spread of the infection and to identify all possible contacts.
“Deep cleaning, fogging as well as decontamination of the entire hospital with the use of an ultraviolet (UV) light robot has been completed. UV robots have proven effective in destroying viruses, bacteria and fungal spores in healthcare facilities,” Murphy said.
“The Western Cape Department of Labour, which inspected the hospital after its closure, gave the green light for it to re-open after they were satisfied that the hospital had been decontaminated,” he said, doctors practising at the hospital have been informed of the hospital and emergency department’s re-opening.
Murphy apologised for concern and inconvenience the temporary closure may have caused to the community.
“The hospital management is in contact with our staff members who are self-isolating for 14 days, to check on their well-being.”
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