BusinessLive reports that it emerged on Wednesday that the Western Cape health department is changing its Covid-19 testing strategy, and will now prioritise high-risk groups such as health-care workers and people in old age homes.
The move to ration testing follows growing delays at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), which has been unable to keep up with demand as SA’s Covid-19 epidemic deepens. The Western Cape, which has more than 60% of SA’s reported cases, sounded the alarm over NHLS delays a fortnight ago, saying at the time that long turnaround times were hampering its capacity to manage critically ill patients. Two top scientists have furthermore advised the government to scrap community screening and testing and conserve tests and laboratory resources for key groups to ensure maximum impact. Tests needed to be used “sparingly and appropriately”, Western Cape head of health Keith Cloete indicated. The department has worked with the NHLS to ensure health-care workers now receive test results within 24 hours, and hospitalised patients within three days. Other groups of people still have to wait on average seven to eight days for their results, but some have waited for as long as 12 days.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tamar Kahn at BusinessLive
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