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Detectives from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit in Bellville, Cape Town, rushed to get tested for Covid-19 on Wednesday. This after members of the specialised squad discovered one of their colleagues had been hospitalised with the virus.
Fifteen officials visited the drive-through testing centre run by Gift of the Givers in Bellville to check their status.
Dr Naeem Kathrada of Gift of the Givers told News24 that all of the detectives had been tested within an hour.
"They were anxious and wanted to get the results as soon as possible," Kathrada sai.
"We cracked a few jokes to make it a little easier for them, before getting the test done," he said.
The results would be emailed to each detective within 24 hours of testing, he added.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo confirmed that a member in the unit had tested positive.
"Members attached to the Serial Electronic Crimes Investigation Unit have been placed under self-isolation, along with members attached to the Bellville Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, after one of the members had tested positive for Covid-19 virus on Wednesday," Naidoo said.
Operations at the units had not been affected, despite the Covid-19 scare, Naidoo said.
"The two units share office space in Bellville, which has subsequently been closed for decontamination. Alternative measures have been implemented to ensure that service delivery and the investigation of crimes are not compromised in any way," he said.
