Health department visits Ivory Park to give coronavirus health tips

The City of Joburg health department went to Ivory Park on Monday to raise the community’s awareness of the coronavirus and other health issues.

The city officials began with door-to-door visits and later handed out information pamphlets in the streets as well as the taxi ranks.

Leah Morumudi, City of Joburg health educator, said: “We engaged with the community to ensure that people are fully informed and they fully understand the risks about the coronavirus.

“We started as early as 6am, talking to people, and we have been to the taxi rank twice already. We went early while the queues were still long and we had a dialogues with them to find out what they do and how much they know about this virus.

“We also interacted with the drivers and gave the general public tips on how to wear their masks and gloves.

“We do have to wear gloves, but not the whole day. If you were to wear them all day you would probably have to wash hands before eating and change them every two hours.

“Gloves can carry the infection because people touch a lot of different things.

“When wearing a mask, please do not only cover your mouth but your nose as well, because when someone close coughs, the virus might be transmitted,” said Morumudi.

“When someone coughs they are at risk of transmitting diseases, including tuberculosis (TB). That is why it is important to use masks.

“For those who travelled to outside countries, it is important for them to have themselves tested for the coronavirus because it could cause a major health crisis in our townships,” said Morumudi.

If you suspect you have any Covid-19 symptoms, call the toll-free number on 0800 029 999.