The SA government is making moves to turn a number of museums and hostels into hospitals after noting the number of people infected by COVID -19 is rise during level 3.
The Eastern Cape government has accommodated many COVID-19 patients in isolation centres following measures to reduce the pandemic around the country.
Speaking on the issue, Premier Oscar Mabuyane said: “Looking at the numbers of people in self-isolation in our province, we have taken a decision that in order to avoid the risk associated with inappropriate and dangerous behaviour by some of the people self-isolating in their homes, more positive cases should be isolated under supervision for us to reduce local spread and avoid a rapid increase in the positive caseload.”
Eastern Cape recently recorded 103 new COVID-19 cases making more people vulnerable to the pandemic. The province has recorded 38 081 people infected with the virus and 5 528 people have died of the pandemic.
“We have also taken a decision to convert 18 state-owned facilities, like museums, schools’ hostels, nursing colleges [and] training centres in all districts and metropolitan municipal areas of our province, into field hospitals to give us 2 080 beds, which include 218 high care beds. We plan to have these field hospitals ready soon so that we are able to accommodate more people who will be needing hospitalisation and isolation,” said Mabuyane.
According to Luvuyo Bayeni,technical advisor to the Eastern Cape Health MEC, measures taken by the government might need the assistance of the police as some people in the community will resist being taken to isolation centres.
