A professor in one of Unisa's departments has tested positive for the Coronavirus. This was confirmed by his doctor soon after he received the results of the test. He reported the matter to his line manager and informed colleagues with whom he had had contact after his return.
He indicated that he was not certain about when or where he was infected, as he had just returned from George, Western Cape, as he was on leave. On 18 March 2020, he came to the office and reported that he was not feeling well, and has been booked off since then. Since he received confirmation of the infection, he has been recovering at home.
Subsequent to the confirmation of the case, the following has been done:
The University is committed to the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus. As a result, several measures have been planned, including disinfection across campuses. In addition, staff members have been provided with sanitisers, gloves and masks wherever possible.
Many buildings have been closed to ensure that no further contamination takes place. This has been done in anticipation of the planned disinfection of all the Unisa buildings.
An interesting development is that, in the interim, and in response to the National call, staff members at Unisa’s Science Campus are now producing sanitisers to support essential services staff such as the security officers.
The University of South Africa will continue to support the National effort to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, and will continue to monitor developments and respond accordingly.
Staff members are encouraged to respect the confidentiality of the inflected staff member and to handle the matter with the sensitivity it deserves.
I wish everyone well during this challenging time. Stay safe!
Kind regards
Prof Mandla Makhanya
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
Publish date: 2020-04-01 00:00:00.0