Coronavirus: Limpopo Man With COVID-19 Arrested

A man who tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been arrested at a village outside Tzaneen in Limpopo, SABC News reported on Saturday.

Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba says the man tested positive in Gauteng and instead of self-isolation he went back to his home village outside Tzaneen.

The man is believed to have had contact with other people when he went back home. After his results came out positive, the tracer teams in Gauteng struggled to locate him until he was found in Limpopo.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has raised concerns regarding the lack of information pertaining to positive COVID-19 cases in South Africa.

On Tuesday, he said that while patient confidentiality was a fundamental aspect of ethical healthcare, provisions allowed under the Surveillance and Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions Act would be implemented more strictly as a result of non-compliance. Mkhize warned both citizens and the healthcare sector to be more diligent or risk facing the wrath of the law.

“Our position is now clear, we request that you comply, if there is resistance, we will enforce such compliance through the law.”

Mkhize added that the health department would enact Regulation 18 of the abovementioned government protocol which would effectively grant the state permission to disclose patient information in an attempt to minimise points of contact with other individuals.

“This therefore means that if a confirmed case refuses to provide us with information, we will go to the extent of making a public announcement that anyone who has come into contact with that specific person (disclosing their name) must present themselves.”