KZN municipality closes office after Covid-19 outbreak

The office of the Richmond local municipality in KwaZulu-Natal closed on Thursday after an outbreak of Covid-19 which has claimed the life of one official.

KZN MEC for co-operative governance & traditional affairs (Cogta) Sipho Hlomuka said reports received by the department indicated that a number of senior officials within the municipality had tested positive for Covid-19.

He said there were reports that one of the officials had “sadly passed away”.

“As a result, the municipality has closed its main offices and testing centre from today to decontaminate the premises. Relevant departments have been engaged by the municipality and a contact tracing process is under way.”

Hlomuka urged residents across the province to continue to be vigilant when in public by continuing to wear masks, sanitising and maintaining social distance.

He appealed to all residents to use electronic means to access services from their municipalities, including online payments, to minimise the need to physically visit offices.

TimesLIVE