GARDEN ROUTE | HESSEQUA | KAROO NEWS - When a person tests positive for the coronavirus, Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) in the district and officials from the Western Cape Department of Health make contact with that person. In most cases they are able to trace those who have been in close contact with the infected person.
The following procedures are what individuals can expect when an EHP of the GRDM visits their home.
After receiving a notification from the provincial National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD ) regarding a Covid-19 positive case, the EHP must verify the information and particulars of the patient before commencing with the interview. It is of utmost importance that the officials wear the correct PPEs, including the N95 mask and the relevant glasses, during the home visit.
Both parties need to adhere to and maintain the social distancing protocol. The patient must be addressed outside his house or in an open area. Officials must also be discreet in their approach and conversation, not to alert the surrounding neighbours.
At the moment of arrival, the EHP must identify him/herself and explain the purpose of the visit. During the interview, the patient has to wear a mask. A mask must be supplied should the patient not have one. The conversation starts with the first-contact counselling procedure (including giving his/her results and informing him/her about the disease and precautionary measures to take to stop the spread).
The first-contact counselling and tracing includes determining the contact a patient has with close and casual contacts (household and work contacts). It is imperative that counselling is given to all occupants of the affected household. The suitability of the Covid-19 positive person’s home for isolation purposes is also determined at this time.
The importance of self-isolation and adherence to the prescribed 14 days isolation period must be emphasised during the visit. In conclusion, the patient may request to be provided with a letter to confirm the last day of isolation from the Western Cape Government Department of Health or a local doctor.
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Group Editors (publications and online platforms) is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
'We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news'
