Chatsworth police station shut after cop tests positive

Decontamination team sanitising premises

CHATSWORTH police station will remain closed for administrative duties until tomorrow after a police officer tested positive for Covid-19.

A decontamination team began sanitising the station yesterday.

The officer works in the Community Services Centre (CSC) which deals directly with the public. In the interim, a mobile CSC has been set up outside the station to assist the public. Anxiety levels were high at the police station yesterday. The administration staff were sent home as a precaution.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo confirmed that a police constable had tested positive for Covid-19.

He said the officer received her results last Monday and she had informed station management immediately. Naidoo said the constable was on duty last Monday and had since been on rest days.

“She was supposed to return to work last Thursday. She booked off sick and did not return to the station. (When we learnt about her test results) the station was evacuated. The building is undergoing a decontamination process,” he said.

The Chatsworth SAPS has approximately 200 staff. Naidoo said all staff who had come into contact with her have been advised to go for testing or screening. Naidoo assured that police patrols would continue as normal.

“We are appealing to the public to be patient. They can report to the police station. We have set up a mobile Client Service Centre just outside the police station. The station is expected to resume as normal on Thursday,” Naidoo said.

A source said colleagues who had worked with the officer were concerned for their own health. The source said the station complied with all Covid-19 regulations, including physical distancing and having personal protective equipment (PPE). The South African Policing Union spokesperson, Oscar Skommere, said many police stations throughout the country were affected with Covid-19 cases. He said police officers were on the front line even at roadblocks.

“Police management was caught flat-footed. We’re on the ground daily engaging with SAPS management to provide more PPE for police. You cannot use the same mask and gloves daily. Police stations must be adequately stocked to meet the demand.

“Officers are looking in all directions for protective gear. Another concern is where the members were being quarantined. The number of people flocking to the police stations during stage 3 will increase,” Skommere said.

Naidoo said the Folweni police station was closed in March and the Inanda police station was closed two weeks ago. Both stations had positive Covid-19 cases reported.

National police commissioner General Khehla John Sitole said to date more than 370 officers had tested positive for Covid-19, with most of the cases being recorded in the Western Cape.