6 healthcare workers at Kingsway Hospital contract COVID-19

6 healthcare workers at Kingsway Hospital contract COVID-19

KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu has confirmed six healthcare workers at Kingsway Hospital in Amanzimtoti have contracted COVID-19.

Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu Kingsway Hospital
Lauren Beukes

On Wednesday, the Netcare Group said a patient who had been admitted to the facility for a suspected stroke - later tested positive for the virus.


READ: COVID-19 hits Netcare's Kingsway Hospital


The hospital has been conducting mass screening and testing of workers and patients who may have been exposed.


It shut a section of the facility and has stopped taking new admissions.


Deep-cleaning and decontamination efforts are also underway.


Speaking in Pietermaritzburg where a coronavirus screening and testing campaign was launched on Thursday, Simelane-Zulu said they were working to establish what happened at Kingsway.


"It is clear that we need to start instituting in-depth investigations to establish what is exactly is happening. Now because we have provided these hospitals with licence and with it done legally - you can't just withdraw the licence from the facilities if there has been any wrongdoing. So we to do a thorough investigation, which is what we have started to do," she said.  


ALSO READ: Health officials investigate COVID-19 case at Kingsway Hospital


Last week - it emerged more than 48 healthcare workers at Netcare St Augustine's Hospital in Durban tested positive for COVID-19.

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