Image: SINO MAJANGAZA
Buffalo City Metro mayor Xola Pakati has tested negative for the coronavirus.
Pakati confirmed to DispatchLIVE on Friday that he had been given a clean bill of health. He was publicly tested this week while encouraging BCM residents to be tested.
"We thought it's important that we inform the public about the result so that we assist in fighting the stigma against the virus and dispel the misinformation against screening and testing for Covid-19. "We are hoping that many residents of Buffalo City Metro will present themselves for the screening and tests led by the department of health without any hassle," Pakati said.
The mayor encouraged residents to obey the lockdown regulations, saying that is the only way SA would flatten the curve.
''That I have tested negative requires that I be extra careful in respecting the protection tips against Covid-19," he said.
"I will continue to maintain social distancing, regularly wash my hands with soap. I will also avoid shaking hands and will sanitise frequently touched surfaces. This is what residents of the metro should aim to achieve.
"Those who test positive should ensure that they submit themselves for state isolation as announced by the president yesterday and they should fully disclose their contacts in order to ensure that they too receive urgent care. We will beat this when we work together."