SOUTH AFRICA: A Gauteng family who tested positive for Covid-19 and fled from the hospital has been nabbed by the police after the provincial health department approached the courts to quarantine the family.

The family had refused to be quarantined after they were confirmed to be have been infected with the coronavirus.

Kwara Kekana, a spokesperson for the Gauteng Department of Health, said the department approached the court on Monday night to ensure that the family was forced into quarantine.

“The department approached the court on Monday night requesting an urgent order to ensure that we don’t interfere with the constitutional rights of the patients without a court order. The court order was granted around 1am this morning in favour of the department,” said Kekana.

The department then alerted the police to trace the family and on Tuesday just after midday, the police located the family.

“We are pleased that the family was found around 12h30 this afternoon and is currently being attended to at a designated health facility,” said Kekana.

Health authorities are appealing with South Africans to co-operate with healthworkers as the country grapples with containing the coronavirus outbreak.

S.A’s Coronavirus Cases Soar

The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 have reached 116 in South Africa – an increase of 31 new cases since Tuesday.

This was announced by Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize on Wednesday morning. He added that a further six local transmission cases had been reported.

He said:

As part of tracking and tracing, we have collated background information on how these patients were infected. We will provide information to the public, so as to give a sense of how these local transmissions occur. We will however not disclose full details, as this information is subject to patient confidentiality which we are bound by.-News24

President Cyril Ramaphosa and party leaders are expected to address the media after the meeting which is taking place at Tuynhuys in Cape Town.

Meanwhile, schools have been closed until 14 April and, while no travel ban is in place, South Africans have been advised to limit their movements.