More Netcare staff test positive for Covid-19, this time in Boksburg

• The Netcare Sunward Park Hospital in Boksburg has closed its theatres and diverted ambulance emergencies after some staff members tested positive for Covid-19. 
• Staff will only return if they test negative
• This is yet another Netcare facility which has seen an outbreak of Covid-19, with two others suffering similar problems in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Netcare Sunward Park Hospital in Boksburg has closed its theatres and diverted ambulance emergencies after some staff members tested positive for Covid-19. 

The hospital's general manager, Dr Zecharai Esterhuizen, said the tracking and tracing of everybody who came in contact with them was underway.  High-risk nursing support staff and doctors will be monitored and placed in self-isolation for 14 days as a precaution. 

All individuals who work at the East Rand health facility, who tested positive for Covid-19, will be re-tested once their quarantine period is finished. 

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They can only go back to work if their results are negative. 

Netcare has a special ultraviolet disinfection robot to help destroy viruses, bacteria and fungal spores during the deep-cleaning and disinfection process. 

Closed

"The theatre complex has nevertheless been closed for seven days as an additional precautionary measure," said Esterhuizen. 

The hospital has made special arrangements to take care of walk-in patients for emergency procedures during this time.

In March, it said it had spent R150 million to ready itself to treat Covid-19 patients, but it has been slammed by virus itself, with St Augustine's and Kingsway facilities in KwaZulu-Natal among the first to be hit by the highly virulent pathogen. 

Four people died during a Covid-19 outbreak at St Augustine's and 47 staff members tested positive, while 10 staff members at Kingsway in Amanzimtoti tested positive.

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In addition, its latest results show that day-to-day visits to general practitioners also fell by approximately 50% of what they were before the lockdown.

Fin24 reported more specialist healthcare needs like mental and dental health visits and admissions suffered declines of above 60%.

It is also among the private hospitals which agreed to assist the government by treating public Covid-19 patients on a not-for profit basis and will only seek to recover costs on a case-by-case basis.

Mediclinic was also hit by the virus, with 26 people testing positive at Mediclinic Cape Town in Oranjezicht, the company confirmed on Monday.