COVID-19: Close to 14 healthcare workers test positive in KZN public hospitals
The KZN Health Department says about 14 healthcare workers from the public sector have tested positive for the coronavirus in the province.
MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu has responded to questions regarding the number of infected nurses at Addington Hospital in Durban and claims that hospital management are hiding cases.
Health previously confirmed that a nurse at the hospital had COVID-19.
It's alleged the nurse was in contact with someone from Durban's St Augustine's Hospital where about 71 healthcare workers have tested positive.
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Since then, nursing union, Denosa has said five other nurses have contracted the virus - but Health hasn't confirmed this.
Simelane-Zulu says it's impossible for an institution to hide cases.
"I want to clarify that there is no way you can hide people that have been infected. But in the case of Addington there is a health worker that was found to be positive, it's something that we know and we also know where the infection came from."
"Now immediately when the CEO got rid of that and also discovered that there are other people, he started testing all the healthcare workers that are working in that particular health worker, including the patients that she had been in contact with. Staff was also engaged and informed of the particular worker," she added.
Simelane-Zulu made the comments while on a walkabout in Esikhaleni, near Richard's Bay this morning.
It's one of the areas that have been identified as not adhering to the lockdown regulations.
*This story has been updated. Newswatch previously reported that about 40 public sector healthcare workers had COVID-19. The KZN Health Department has since clarified that the number is 14.
