Gauteng places German tourists under quarantine

habitdevops via Pixabay

A group of 60 German tourists has been placed under quarantine after one of them tested positive for Covid-19, said the Gauteng Health Department on Friday.

In a statement, the department said the group is now at a health facility in the province.

The development comes on the same the day the national Department of Health revealed that South Africa had recorded its first two deaths of COVID-19.

The deaths were recorded in the Western Cape.

BREAKING: First 2 #Covid19 deaths in SA

27 Mar 2020

The country’s confirmed Covid-19 cases have now tipped the 1,000 mark.

"The group had planned on leaving the country [on Thursday]. Port Health Services were alerted and responded to the situation, leading to the group being grounded," said the department.

Forty-seven members of the group are currently under quarantine at a private facility in Gauteng.

"Due to the limited quarantine space, separate arrangements were made to have the other 15 members of the group accommodated at one of the province’s health facilities and are under quarantine," said the department.

The department said it is disappointing that the group was not cooperative with officials. Police had to be called in to help manage the situation.

"Necessary precautions were taken with regards to the transportation to prevent exposure," said the department.

Gauteng Health further pleaded with the public, including visitors, to adhere to the lockdown measures and protocols that government has put in place.

"It is through working together that we will be able to disrupt the chain of transmission of the Covid-19 virus," the department said.