SEDGEFIELD’S 1st COVID-19 CASE

On Monday 18 May The EDGE received official confirmation from the Western Cape Health Department that Sedgefield had its first case of COVID-19.
Whilst as a matter of protocol the Department did not provide further information on the case, investigation and input from reliable sources has confirmed that the person who tested positive was a cancer patient in her 70s who had been brought from Cape Town to stay with her family in Smutsville. When she tested positive for COVID-19 she was taken to George hospital where she sadly passed away on Monday morning.
Her family members are reportedly in quarantine.
Nadia Ferreira, Principal Communications Officer of Western Cape Government Health for the Garden Route and Central Karoo Districts, says that whilst members of the community should not panic, they should continue to make doubly sure that they take all the necessary steps to keep the COVID-19 virus at bay.
“When facing a threat on a global scale, such as Covid-19, it is normal to feel anxious, scared, confused and overwhelmed. Even more so with the overload of information available and our numbers of positive cases increasing in the Province.
“It is normal to feel alone and frustrated. However, by limiting your exposure to other people, you can protect your family and yourself. If you must leave the house ONLY to go to work or essential shopping, wear a cloth mask, do not touch your face, stay 1,5m away from others, and wash your hands often.
“We should try to avoid all physical contact with other people so that we can limit our chances of becoming infected or infecting others. If we do have contact, we should ALWAYS observe distance and hygiene practices.
“However, this does not mean we should be unkind to others and not offer to help our friends and neighbours. It is important that we stand together and that we support each other, especially those who have tested positive for Covid-19. Anyone can be infected with Covid-19 and anyone can carry the virus, even without showing symptoms.
“The Coronavirus does not discriminate between age, gender, race, or disability. However, not everyone is at the same risk of becoming very ill. Vulnerable people are at higher risk. This is why it is so important that we take all the precautions we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones from Covid-19. People who are especially vulnerable are those with underlying medical conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, lung disease, TB, and HIV.