A labour centre in Bellville, South Africa was closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. The employee had been working at the centre after being relocated from Pretoria due to being caught in the lockdown period while visiting family in Cape Town. All 36 staff members at the centre were referred for testing, though the infected employee only worked closely with 20 of them. The department responded by following laid down protocols, closing the centre, testing employees, and deep cleaning and disinfecting the office. The case was reported to health authorities and the employee's family was informed of the developments.

1. MEDIA RELEASE
11 May 2020
EMPLOYMENT ANDLABOUR DEPARTMENT TAKES PRECAUTIONSASEMPLOYEE TESTS POSITIVEFOR
COVID-19
A labourcentre where one of the employeesof the Departmentof EmploymentandLabour tested
positive forCOVID-19hasbeenclosed.Thisistoallow forall the workerswhomay have beenincontact
withthe affectedemployeetobe tested,monitoredandforthe officestobe deepcleanedand
disinfected.
The said employee didnotinteract withthe membersof the public.
Accordingto the DirectorGeneral of the Department,Thobile Lamati,the employeewhoworksatthe
CompensationFundinPretoriawascaughtupinthe lockdownperiodwhilevisitingfamilyinCape Town.
As a result,she wasplacedtowork at the BellvilleLabourCentre toenable hertocontinue todo her
work.
“As we have indicatedbefore,while labourcentreshave beenclosedforgeneral publictraffic,our
officialshave continuedworkinthe background,capturinginformationandthusensuringthatthere is
no majordisruptionof servicesforourclients.Itfollowsthenthatthe saidemployee didnothave any
interactionwiththe membersof the public.
“However,she didinteractwithotherstaff memberswhowere workingat the labourcentre – 36 in
total thoughshe workedcloselywithonly20staff members.We have referredall staff whoworked
there fortesting.
“The employee firstreportedsickonApril 28. Whenlimitedtravelwasallowedasa resultof the
loweringof the AlertLevel to4,she travelledbacktoGautengon May 1. On 3 May she displayed
symptomsof fluandtook flumedicationbuthersymptomsworsened.

2. “Just as we announcedinpreparingSouthAfricaforeasedrestrictions,itisalmostinevitable thatsome
of usmay be infectedandaffected.Whatiscritical ishow we respond.Withall the givencircumstances,
the departmenthasrespondedinthe waythatis expectedwhichistofollow the laiddownprotocols.
AlthoughOccupational HealthandSafetyActrequiresemployerstoreview andupdate riskassessments
on a regularbasis,the newhazardposedbyCOVID-19 isclearlyidentifiableandthe basicmeasuresto
eliminateorminimisethe riskare nowwell known,”saidLamati
The case has beenreportedtothe Centre forCommunicableDiseasebothinGautengandinCape Town
and the familyhasbeenkeptinformedof the developments.
For more informationcontact:
TebohoThejane
Departmental Spokesperson
082 607 0694
-ENDS-
Issuedby:Departmentof EmploymentandLabour