Health officials meet Hilton residents following COVID-19 case
The Health Minister and KZN's Health and Education MECs have been meeting with parents and other residents of the Midlands town of Hilton after a man from that community tested positive for coronavirus.
The 38-year-old man returned from a trip to Italy on Sunday. He went to see a doctor on Tuesday after suffering some symptoms.
Tests were done and came back positive for COVID-19. The meeting is taking place at Cowan House Preparatory School the patient is a parent.
Concerned parents, residents and representatives from schools in the area have made their way into a hall at the school in their numbers.
READ: Coronavirus: Second man part of Italy travel group isolated in Mt Edgecombe home
They are being given an update on the confirmed case and containment efforts.
Newswatch spoke to some of them as they waited for the meeting in their cars. There was a definite sense of uncertainty and worry.
Two of the attendees say they run daycare centres. They say they came to the meeting because they wanted clarity on how to deal with the situation, and whether or not to close their schools.
Health officials have confirmed that the man who's tested positive remains in isolation at his Hilton home, along with his wife and children.
They are tracking down passengers who were on the same flight that arrived from Italy on Sunday.
Cowan House Preparatory School is closed today.
NOW READ: Hilton school shut fears of COVID-19, officials descend
Board chairperson Andrew Barnes says they are not sure when the school will reopen as they are trying to manage the situation.
#CoronaVirusSA Chairman of the board at Cowan House Prep School, Andrew Barnes says they took immediate steps once finding out that one of their parents had been diagnosed with #COVIDー19 . He says they are uncertain at this stage when they reopen the school. @ECR_Newswatch pic.twitter.com/OIRoEih624
— Nushera Raisa Soodyal (@nushera) March 6, 2020
Earlier Newswatch spoke to Ward Councillor Craig Millar, who says he has received calls from residents who visited the same doctor's rooms on Tuesday when the man went for a consultation.
#CoronaVirusSA The ward Councillor in Hilton, near Pietermaritzburg in #KZN where the first case of #COVIDー19 in South Africa has been picked up says he’s started receiving calls from concerned residents. Fears have grown since the case was confirmed yesterday. @ECR_Newswatch pic.twitter.com/ALzzDTWXvK
— Nushera Raisa Soodyal (@nushera) March 6, 2020
He says he's also taken calls from others who claim to have symptoms and has advised them to contact the health department.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has stressed South Africa still only has one confirmed case of coronavirus.
He's been giving an update on the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the country.
Listen below:
