Employment and Labour on temporary closure of Free State office due to a positive Coronavirus COVID-19 case

Free State Provincial office temporarily closed due to an official testing positive for Covid-19

​The Department of Employment and Labour in the Free State has today closed its Provincial Office due to an official testing positive for Covid-19.

According to Ms Emily Maneli, Chief Director: Provincial Operations in the province; the infected official was on Friday interacting with various officials from different sub-sections due to work-related activities. This in turn has led to a high number of officials having to take time off work for mandatory quarantine.

The number of officials to go on mandatory quarantine is ten and is expected to rise.

According to Ms Maneli, this was not the first positive case for the Provincial Office. Since the first official to contract the virus did not visit the office during the incubation period, the department deemed it not necessary to close down the office.

Ms Maneli has stated that the safety of officials and ensuring that the spread of the virus is minimized remains vital to her office.

Thobile Lamati, Director-General of the department has previously stated that the safety of staff remains paramount. "Our officials are an important cog of the working of the South African economy and as such, we will also ensure that they are as safe as possible," said Lamati.

The office will be closed from the 13th to the 17th of July 2020 for decontamination and will reopen on the 20th of July 2020.

For media enquiries contact:
Teboho Thejane
Departmental Spokesperson
082 697 0694

"Please continue to adhere to the lockdown regulations. Stay home, wear your mask, wash your hands regularly and keep maintaining the social distance."

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