PORT ELIZABETH - COVID-19 STRIKES PE MAGISTRATES COURT AFTER STAFF MEMBER TESTS POSITIVE

Management at the Port Elizabeth magistrate’s court have been accused of negligence by staff after one of their colleagues tested positive for Covid-19.

Department of justice spokesperson Chrispin Phiri confirmed one case of Covid-19 on Thursday morning when asked about the situation at the court.

An employee from the court’s finance department said she had been unsettled to learn that a transport supervisor had tested positive at the weekend.

“We work with money, and as a result our office is the most frequented office by the employees.

“When the supervisor tested positive I was worried because they usually transport the signatory to the bank.

“At the first sight of smoke, management stayed home and neglected to inform us [staff members] that someone tested positive.

““Management kept it mum, and that is why we are [now livid],” she said.

Staff members said they wanted the courthouse to be closed, as had been done at the New Brighton magistrate’s court.

One of the staff members who works for the court’s transport department said their supervisor had directly informed them.

“When my supervisor told me I became very worried. Some of us were at work on Monday.

“I was afraid of staying home and then being given unpaid leave so on Wednesday I inquired about what needed to be done, and only then was I told to self-isolate,” he said.

Employees said they had also received word that a SAPS member who worked at courtroom 27 had also tested positive.

National police spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo said the SAPS member was still awaiting his results, but did not have any symptoms.

Phiri said the courts had been disinfected at the weekend through the department of public works decontamination programme.

“The official who contracted Covid-19 is the supervisor at the transport section.

“His results came out positive on May 25, hence the rest of the staff at the transport section who worked with him were advised to go into self-isolation,” Phiri said, adding that there were no other reports of staff members at the court having tested positive.

Asked why the transport vehicles had not yet been decontaminated, Phiri said: “The office is working on sanitising the cars.”

Asked about how he was coping, the 48-year-old transport supervisor said he was still feeling under the weather.

“I started feeling sick two weeks back.

“On Tuesday May 19 I went to see a doctor, who gave me medication.

“However, when I could feel that death was drawing closer I went back, and was tested for corona on Friday.

“I stay in a two-bedroom house with my wife and two children and when I received my results on Sunday, I asked to be taken to isolate away from my family,” he said.

The 48-year-old spoke with much difficulty on Thursday morning, saying that health officials had not contacted him since.

“I called them again on Tuesday, pleading with them, but the lady just blue-ticked me [on WhatsApp].

“My greatest worry is my wife, whom I had been sharing a double bed with until I got my results.

“She has high blood pressure and the last thing I want is for her to contract the virus,” he said.

via - HERALDLIVE