The South African Police Service in Matatiele has now confirmed that a prisoner has tested positive for Covid19 at the Maluti police station last weekend. National Spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo in a statement said a 32 year old awaiting trial prisoner tested positive. He said this follows after he requested the Department of Health to screen and test all awaiting trial prisoners in the police cells in order to be sure that they were safe and further to do the same to newly detained suspects. According to Brigadier Naidoo after the testing, out of ten only one tested positive for the first group. Other inmates are still awaiting for their results. “The identified prisoner was sent to a nearby hospital but was returned in isolation in the police cells after it was decontaminated. This was due to the fact that the Hospital site was not secured and safe for the murder suspect. He had been in police custody/cells even before the lockdown. The station was immediately closed and an alternative place was identified and utilized to operate for 24/7. Members were withdrawn from the surrounding stations in the Cluster to serve the community of Maluti whilst the personnel of Maluti is still on self-quarantine. Service delivery is not affected by this development, as police in the identified alternative place are operating around the clock”, concluded Brigadier Naidoo. This is regarded as the first case of Covid 19 in Matatiele for now. About eleven people who were tested at Taylor Bequest Hospital last week are still under quarantine. These people are described as farm workers who were released by their bosses to go home as the season for harvesting apples is finished. The arrival of the quantum with these people has caused uproar on the Eastern Cape government officials who felt that the Western Cape government is dumping these people in the province destabilising efforts made by the Eastern Cape government to flatten the curve. A meeting was held between Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane and Western Cape Premier Alan Windie. The two leaders have agreed that the movement of people from Cape Town to Eastern Cape be managed properly. So far the Eastern Capes province has 774 confirmed cases, 377 recoveries and 17 deaths. In the Alfred Nzo District the affected areas are three Bizana, Lucingweni and Maluti.
