04 Jul 2021

Mahalapye Sub-District has registered a cumulative number of 4 163 COVID-19 positive cases and 51 COVID-19 related deaths. Giving an update on the sub-district’s COVID-19 status to the District Emergency Operations Centre committee recently, Mahalapye District Hospital senior medical officer, Dr Fredrick Mpere expressed concern that most cases were recently recorded in schools. 

He said the rising number of positive COVID-19 cases in schools was due to non adherence to COVID-19 protocols by pupils as well as control measures in schools. 

Dr Mpere said the schools with the highest cumulative number of COVID-19 positive cases were now 95, from 210 last week, at Shoshong Senior Secondary School, 107 at Ramokgonami Junior Secondary School and 46 at Madiba SSS. 

Last week, he said Mahalapye District Health Management Team (DHMT) visited all the three schools with Basic Education officials to assess the situation and temporarily suspended classes, for 10 days, to control the spread of the coronavirus.

In the sub-district, he said villages with the highest cumulative number of COVID-19 positive cases, were; Mahalapye 2 268, Shoshong 576 and Sefhare 221. Currently, he said there were 248 COVID-19 positive cases admitted, of which 195 were admitted under home isolation, whilst 53 were admitted under facility isolation. “The critical patients, those with a moderate to severe form of disease are currently 20 and are all admitted at the hospital isolation ward,” he added. Furthermore, Dr Mpere said there were 121 primary contacts under home quarantine. 

Meanwhile, by June 25, 2021, he said the DHMT had conducted 57 822 COVID-19 tests in the sub-district, of which 12 863 were for PCR tests, whilst 44 959 were for Rapid-Antigen tests. In his level of compliance to COVID-19 protocols report, District No. 16 deputy officer commanding, Superintendent Morris Kwena said his policing area had recorded 423 cases of non-compliance to the protocols from June 16 to 28, 2021. 

Of these 423 cases, Supt Kwena said 146 had been completed whilst 277 were still pending. He said the cases were recorded as follows; 202 for failure to wear face masks, with 33 completed and 169 pending, 174 for failure to obey curfew. 

Other cases, Sup.t Kwena said included failure to maintain required number of people at a funeral or wedding with four completed and four pending, 14 for unlawful gathering with six completed and eight pending. 

Mahalapye Sub-District Council chairperson, Mr Bantlhasetse Merementsi expressed concern that the sub-district was experiencing a surge in the number of COVID-19 positive cases and encouraged the DHMT and the DEOC committee members to continue doing their best to ensure the community adhered to COVID-19 protocols. ends