Staff Reporter
Batho police station in Mangaung has been closed after a police officer tested positive for COVID-19.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said in a statement released Wednesday that the station has been closed for decontamination and residents will be assisted from a nearby community centre.
“The community service centre will now be operating from the Batho Community Hall which is located just across the street from Batho police station in Fort Hare Street,” said Naidoo.
He said people are also advised to call 10111 for all emergencies and complaints which will be attended to by the Mangaung Cluster Operational Command Centre members.
“The telephone lines at Batho police station community service centre will no longer be accessible,” Naidoo said.
“The building is currently undergoing decontamination and the community will be informed when the station will be operational again,” he added.
Health MEC Montseng Tsiu on Tuesday told a media briefing that the Free State has experienced a steady increase in community transmissions of COVID-19, with Mangaung remaining the epicentre of the coronavirus disease in the province.
She said community transmissions cannot be easily traced to the source because these happen when people are confined to their communities.
South Africa has been on lockdown since March 27 and all national borders have remained closed.
Inter-provincial travelling is not allowed as well as moving to other towns in the same province without prior permission.
Only essential services have been allowed to operate with other sectors only opening for business at the beginning of May when the country’s alert level was stepped down from Level 4 to Level 3.
The Free State now has 174 confirmed cases of COVID-19 after recording 10 new cases.
Nine of the cases came from Bloemfontein while the other one was recorded in Thaba Nchu.
Mangaung has a total of 150 cases while Thabo Mofutsanyana has 12, Lejweleputswa four, Xhariep two and Fezile Dabi six.
About 117 people have recovered from the disease while six have died in the province.