FOUR cases of Covid-19 have been detected at a clinic in Motherwell, Eastern Cape.
But so far, it’s not clear if these cases are linked to the new XBB 1.5 variant. The four people are three staff members and one patient from the Motherwell NU2 Clinic.
Eastern Cape Department of Health spokeswoman Yonela Dekeda said none of the four showed any life-threatening symptoms, with some not experiencing any symptoms at all.
All the new cases have been referred to the outreach teams for contact tracing and testing. The department will continue to monitor the infection throughout the province because at this stage, it’s unclear if the cases are linked to the newly discovered XBB 1.5 variant, which is still under research.
“Treatment of the staff at Motherwell NU2 Clinic was conducted on Friday, 6 January for an hour after which operations resumed,” Dekeda said.
Mzukhona Antoni (51), who gets her chronic medication from the NU2 Clinic, said when she heard about Covid-19 returning to Mzansi, she thought it was a joke.
“But when I went there I was shocked to find that the clinic was closed due to Covid-19. Our government must act in good time.
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“We don’t want to see our loved ones die like flies like before,” she said.
National health department spokesman Foster Mohale said: “The Department of Health is closely monitoring the Covid-19 situation in China and the world, and will issue an alert if the country needs to take extra precautions.
“There’s no need for the public to panic. We urge people to vaccinate and get booster shots to enhance their immunity against variants and sub-variants of the pandemic.”
