COVID-19: 48 South African Health Workers Test Positive For Coronavirus

Forty-eight South African health workers have tested positive for coronavirus,  the South African Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize says. 

The total number of coronavirus cases in the country has risen to 1,749.

The infections of health staff have caused authorities to shut down the health facility.

Zweli said that there were concerns by authorities regarding the outbreak of the disease at St.Augustine hospital in Durban.

There have been 13 recorded deaths, with four emerging from the aforementioned hospital.

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The health minister said that the government was liaising with the management of the hospital “with the view to close it down”.

He said, “We have said they must stop taking any new outpatients and inpatients.”

South Africa is currently observing a 21-day lockdown, with the president stating that the lockdown has helped stem the spread of the virus.

Ramaphosa said, “If we had not locked down South Africa as we have, I can tell you without any shadow of a doubt that the infection rate… would have been a lot, lot higher than what we have.”