Summerstrand resident in isolation after contact with Covid-19 case

An elderly Summerstrand resident who was in direct contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19 is asymptomatic and in isolation, as are those with whom she has been in contact.

That was the word from Echo Foundation CEO Dean Gurney.

The Echo Foundation manages the Summerstrand Kruger Gardens retirement facility in which the woman lives.

Gurney was answering questions following a flurry of social media posts about the woman who had travelled to a wedding in Cape Town only to find out later that someone she had interacted with at the wedding had tested positive.

On Sunday, Gurney said the woman had attended the Cape Town wedding last week and on returning home had heard the news that a guest who lives in Australia had tested positive.

Gurney said the guest had flown out of Cape Town and into Johannesburg before boarding a flight to Australia where he was tested.

 “The second we became aware, on Friday, she and her direct contacts went into isolation. No-one has exhibited any symptoms,” Gurney said.

Gurney said the Echo Foundation had taken a number of steps — across all their old-age facilities — to keep residents safe.

“On Monday, we shut down [stopped allowing visitors] all our frail care facilities, there are no public gatherings, no maintenance contracts [taking place] or subcontractors [on the premises] and we are practising as much social distancing as possible.” 

Of the Kruger Gardens residents in isolation, he said they would remain that way for 14 days.

Gurney said they had hoped the resident could be tested earlier but they were advised by the health department to wait until the 14 days were over.

This, he said, was because testing too early could provide a false negative result.

Gurney said he too had heard rumours of a coronavirus case in Summerstrand and wanted to let people know that the Kruger Gardens resident was asymptomatic and the person who had tested positive for Covid-19 had not entered Port Elizabeth.