Information ping-pong: Gauteng finally confirms Alexandra COVID-19 case

The Department of Health, after a day of “confirmation ping-pong”, has finally announced that the Alexandra township in Johannesburg has indeed got a case of COVID-19.

To be clear, there is definitely a case of coronavirus in Alexandra.

The department dismissed the reports just hours ago, despite reports earlier on Monday 30 March suggesting the contrary, but have now ultimately made the official confirmation of a case. 

Newzroom Afrika had confirmed the case, but the Department of Health quickly stepped in to dispell the information as false, saying that they will release new figures every evening. 

It’s finally official

But by late Monday afternoon, the Gauteng Health Department finally confirmed a COVID-19 case in Alexandra. \

“The confirmed case, was tested and was instructed to remain under self-isolation while awaiting results.”

According to the provincial department, the man who has tested and was subsequently found to be infected with the virus, disregarded instructions to self-isolate and travelled to outside of the province before the lockdown came into effect on Friday 27 March.

“Upon positive confirmation of results, our team of tracers working with law enforcement agencies tracked the confirmed case to Limpopo,” said the department.

Isolation in Limpopo; five others under quarantine

The man is currently under isolation in a health facility in Limpopo. The department confirmed that five other people who had come into close contact with the confirmed case are currently under quarantine.

“All known close contacts have already been identified, tested and are in quarantine pending results. Our tracing team will continue to work on the tracking and tracing of other possible contacts.”

‘Only speculation’

As mentioned, Health Department spokesperson Popo Maja earlier dismissed the reports which surfaced early on Monday afternoon.

“It is a speculation. It is really rumours. The minister [Zweli Mkhize] releases the number of confirmed cases every early evening. The minister releases a statement between 18:00 and 19:00,” said Maja.

The television channel claimed that two sources had confirmed the case and the infected person had allegedly contracted it from his/her employer who had been travelling abroad.

It turns out they were absolutely right.

Township terror

The news sparked nationwide concern as it came days after the first case of the virus was confirmed in the Western Cape township of Khayelitsha on Sunday. One of the many great fears government has is that when the virus starts to spread within the congested township spaces, it will be near impossible to contain. 

With limited access to running water and other resources deemed necessary to combat the spread of the virus, townships are greatly at risk.