Gauteng has a total of 813 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 3 deaths recorded.
Of the 813 467 confirmed cases in Johannesburg, 92 are in Tshwane, 30 in the West Rand, 6 in Sedibeng, 141 in Ekurhuleni. A total of 77 cases are unallocated in the province.
With the rise in cases, the Gauteng Health Department reiterated Health Minister Zweli Mkhize’s message which recommended the use of cloth masks for the general public.
“Face mask are recommended as an addition to golden rules of good hygiene and social distancing. The face mask should never be promoted as our primary prevention strategy and should never be promoted separately from handwashing and social distancing measures.
“Face masks are recommended for use by the general public in order to ensure that N-95 masks and surgical masks are available to be used by healthcare workers who are at the front line of the battle against COVID-19,” said the provincial department.
Minister Mkhize indicated his satisfaction of sufficient scientific evidence to show that the cloth face mask significantly reduces the amount of virus that can be emitted.
The following rules should be observed when wearing a face masks:
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The face mask must cover the nose and mouth completely.
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Face masks should not be lowered when speaking, coughing or sneezing.
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Face masks should never be touched – fidgeting with the mask repeatedly is strongly discouraged as it is important to avoid touching the face with hands. The inner side of the mask should not be touched by hands.
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Wash hands before and after donning or removing the face-mask.
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Wash cloth face masks with warm soapy water and iron when dry. Ironing assists with decontamination
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Change your cloth face mask if it is wet or visibly soiled
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Each person will need to have at least 2 face-masks so that one face-mask is available when the other is being washed. – SAnews.gov.za
