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The new testing rules included all people with symptoms and preoperative testing of asymptomatic patients awaiting surgery.
FILE: Western Cape Premier Alan Winde. Image: Twitter.
CAPE TOWN (AP) – Western Cape Prime Minister Alan Winde said Thursday that while there was reliable evidence that coronavirus infections in the province were continuing to decline, that didn’t mean people should let their guard down.
The prime minister emphasized again that preventive measures such as wearing masks in public, social distancing and regular hand washing should still be a priority.
“If you experience any symptoms of COVID-19, you should ensure that you self-quarantine and avoid contact with other people until you have been tested,” Winde said in a statement.
The provincial government expanded its testing criteria for COVID-19. The new testing rules included all people with symptoms and preoperative testing of asymptomatic patients awaiting surgery.
It also included healthcare workers and people who had previously tested positive but developed new symptoms 90 days after their first test.
“In September, the testing was further expanded to include preoperative (asymptomatic) patients, natural deaths at home, as well as essential symptomatic public sector workers, prisoners, students and school personnel, and workers in workplaces. Throughout this period, labs have faced capacity and therefore we have made the decision to further expand testing, ”said Winde.
He added: “Non-metropolitan areas were not subject to the risk-adjusted testing strategy and testing for all symptomatic individuals has continued throughout.
“The expansion of testing criteria in September saw an increase in the number of tests being conducted in the Western Cape, yet the average test positivity rate for the province has remained below 10%. This, together with other indicators such as the number of deaths, hospitalizations and oxygen consumption (which is currently 38% of the total capacity), gives us reliable evidence that infections in the province continue to decrease ”.
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