31 March 2020

The Gauteng Department of Health has noted with concern that community members continue to visit in numbers at public hospitals to see their loved ones despite the lockdown period announced by the President last week.

We wish to inform the public that visiting times as of Thursday, 26 March 2020, have been cancelled at all Gauteng public hospitals for the duration of lockdown period.

Additional to the measure above, the only patients that will be allowed at hospitals during this period are those who present with emergency, surgical out-patients, pregnant women and medical out-patients who are booked for collecting medication.

Furthermore, discretion will be used for those collecting their results (e.g cancer), however, if an issue can wait, kindly stay at home.

Everyone will be expected to be sanitised when entering our premises and everyone will be screened for COVID-19. Depending on the outcomes of the screening, patients will be directed accordingly to triage points set up in our facilities. Lastly, anyone with respiratory symptoms will be provided with a mask.

We urge the community to be cooperative and work with hospital management during this difficult period and adhere to the measures.

Ends/

For more information, contact
Kwara Kekana, Spokesperson: MEC for Health
074 054 3826 or Kwara.Kekana@gauteng.gov.za
OR
Philani Mhlungu, Media Liaison Officer: MEC for Health
060 961 2627 or Philani.Mhlungu@gauteng.gov.za
For media releases, speeches and news visit the Gauteng Department of Health’s portal at www.gauteng.gov.za