Covid-19 tests conveniently carried out at malls around Tshwane have tested over eight thousand residents since May. A  partnership between the Gauteng Department of Health and two private companies, Rebosis Property Fund and Faithcare Medicals, has made testing in the city simpler and accessible.

“The first time we started, community members were not aware that these facilities were testing for free so they were sceptical. Now they realise that they can come and get the service for free,” says Faith Mabuza, managing director and founder of Faithcare Medicals.

The service has been especially helpful for people whose employers require a Covid-19 negative test for work.

The convenience of malls

More than thirty thousand screenings have been done at the Forest Hill City Mall, Sunnypark Mall and Bloedstreet Mall, all of which are owned by property company, Rebosis.

“As Rebosis, we believe that it is the responsibility of not just government but it is also the responsibility of all of us, including the private sector to be able to make an effort in fighting this pandemic and this is our contribution,” explains the executive director at Rebosis Property Fund, Zandile Gogo.

Bloedstreet Mall, in central Tshwane, is the latest property to host testing services. Gogo says that it was selected because of its proximity to commuters within the city. Propert managers have have also put in place safety measures to ensure that the mall adheres to regulations put in place by government, including sanitisers in all key areas as commuters walk through the mall, explains Gogo.

Tshwane hotspots

Over the last few months, Tshwane has seen infection hotspots flare up, mostly as a result of overcrowding at funerals. Stricter measures to control crowds are in place after Gauteng Premier David Makhura raised concerns.

The city of Tshwane currently has 40,475 positive Covid-19 cases where 26,823 people have recovered and 558 have died. – Health-e News