The Nelson Mandela Bay has seen an increase of positive COVID-19 cases in old age facilities.
This comes as the city has been highlighted as a COVID-19 hot spot in the Eastern Cape, with a total of 834 active cases recorded as at June 9. Mayoral committee member for public health, Councillor Lance Grootboom, said the increasing cases in old age homes, frail care facilities and retirement villages were concerning, as the elderly were the most vulnerable group.
“For the past three to four weeks we have noted with concern the increasing numbers in these facilities from the reports we get from stakeholders like the Department of Health.
“One Port Elizabeth frail centre has reported 12 positive cases during this new wave, alone.
“During our investigations, we have found that there have been fatalities due to COVID-19 in some of these facilities, too.”
Grootboom said the biggest contributing factors to the increasing numbers in the facilities were visitors.
“People are ignorant. Our officials have found that some family members visited their elderly parents, knowing very well they had COVID-19. Some insisted on the visits because their parents are not well. But in the process they are posing a greater risk to the residents in these facilities. We have a total of 2 989 COVID-19 deaths in the city to date,” he added.
Following the increase in numbers, the city had intensified inspections at the facilities, with various environmental health practitioners visiting the elderly facilities to inspect and investigate if the COVID-19 regulations were being adhered to and what measures are in place at the facilities to contain the spread of the virus.
Head of resident services at Eco Foundation which owns 10 elderly facilities in NMB, Vanessa Smith, said, “We have certainly seen an increase in positive cases in some of our facilities.
“It is a concern although we have systems in place to reduce any outbreak from happening. We are appealing to the families to be masked all the time and sanitise whenever they are with the elderly. We understand they need the affection and visits to know they have not been forgotten but families need to take extra care and sanitise.
“With this new wave, we have actually seen the highest positive cases in our facilities. We try by all means to contain the spread of the virus when there are positive cases.
“We are fortunate that we have not recorded any deaths during this new wave of infections but we would be happy if we could reduce the number of infections in totality.”
The metro’s environmental health practitioners will visit facilities across the metro to enforce adherence of the COVID-19 regulations.
