News24 reports that four Eastern Cape Department of Health employees assigned Covid-19 duties have tested positive for the virus.  

The department's superintendent-general, Dr Thobile Mbengashe, indicated that the employees were based at its call centre in East London, where a staff complement of around 80 persons gave telephonic emergency counselling to patients and also supported emergency responders.  The officials will now be in isolation for a period of 14 days.  As a precautionary measure, the building will be temporarily closed to allow for decontamination and deep cleaning.  Mbengashe said the department's Covid-19 team would now trace all the people who were in contact with the employees, both at work and outside, for screening and testing.  He added it was not yet clear how the four employees contracted the virus as the health department had taken all precautionary measures and had availed personal protective equipment to workers at the call centre.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Malibongwe Dayimani at News24

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