Cape Town - The Western Cape provincial health department on Sunday said it would commence community screening and testing for Covid-19 from Monday.
The tracing, home screening and testing programme  will start in Khayelitsha, Bo-Kaap, Bishop Lavis, Mossel Bay and the Cape Winelands.



This is in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize’s announcement that fieldworkers will commence with an active community screening and testing programme. 
On Saturday Mkhize announced that there were 1 585 confirmed Covid-19 and nine recorded deaths.

According to Mkhize, the Western Cape has 433 confirmed cases and one confirmed coronavirus-related death.

"With the number of positive Covid-19 cases spreading in communities, the risk to vulnerable communities is increasing. Government health services are actively trying to find people who might need help through talking to people (screening) and thus to determine whether they need to go for testing so we can refer them for treatment,"  said Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo.
“We must ensure that our vulnerable communities are screened and tested in greater numbers to ensure our people are protected against the spread of the COVID-19 disease."

“I myself will be visiting Mbekweni in Paarl tomorrow to give support to our community teams," Mbombo said.

Community screening and testing will start in the following areas:

Cape Town Metro sub-districts:
  • Khayelitsha: Town2 and Ilitha Park (Monday)
  • Eastern: Happy Valley (Monday)
  • Western: Bo-Kaap (Tuesday)
  • Tygerberg: Bishop Lavis (Monday)
  • Klipfontein: Philippi (Tuesday)
Rural districts:
  • Kwanonqaba, Mossel Bay (Monday)
  • Mbekweni, Cape Winelands (Monday) 
Screening and testing will be expanded to other vulnerable communities at high risk of coronavirus spreading from person to person. 

Screening will be conducted door-to-door by trained field workers in these areas using simple verbal questions to identify people who may require testing. Health workers will ask health questions aimed at screening for symptom (a sore throat, a cough or fever screening will either be done via community health workers visiting your home, or mobile units in your area (e.g. gazebos). 

Fieldworkers will have ID tags and identifiable clothing.  The South African Police Service will accompany the field-workers to ensure a smooth operation and also protect workers.

"We ask the public to please allow our workers to screen them.

"Testing will be done if the questions indicate that you require a further test. The health worker will refer you to the closest testing centre. The test will be done by taking a swab from your nose and throat. This will either be done in a clinic, or in a mobile parked in your area. Test results will not be immediately available but patients will be followed up and advised of their status."

The department asked that individuals do the following: 
  • Please welcome health workers when screening
  • Answer the questions honestly.
  • Remember the 5 Golden rules: Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, keep surfaces clean, do not touch your face, cough and sneeze in your elbow fold, keep 1,5m away from people, and stay at home
  • Please co-operate fully and support family for testing
What communities should do:
  • Please encourage people to be screened and tested
  • Look out for health workers who have official dentification and branded clothing
  • Please support our health workers and keep them safe
  • Please help to keep communities clean and encourage good behaviour
  • Don’t be afraid of testing or potential sick people.
  • Please support the elderly and children. 
Important numbers:
  • Call numbers: National Hotline: 0800 029 999
  • Provincial hotline: 021 928 4102
  • WhatsApp “hi” to 0600 123 456
The government’s tracing, home screening and testing programme was unveiled in uMlazi, south of Durban on Saturday.
Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, KZN’s MEC for Health, and her department chose uMlazi for the pilot project as schoolteacher Tholakele Shandu, who succumbed to the virus, hailed from the neighbourhood.