Four Eastern Cape nuns have died from COVID-19 within days of each other while 17 more have tested positive for the virus as a Mthatha convent has been devastated by a surge in coronavirus cases, reports News24. The Congregation of the Precious Blood Sisters (CPS) has announced that "an upsurge of COVID-19 has befallen the mother house convent of CPS in Mthatha which also serves as an old age home".
Sister in charge Nokwanda Bam said sisters Celine Nxopo, Maria Cord Wardhor, Martha Anne Dlamini and Beautrice Khofu died between 8 and 14 June. She said they were all over 60-years-old.
Bam said in the statement that the deaths began with the infection of a sister who works as a nurse at St Mary's Hospital in Mthatha.
According to the report, Life Healthcare group GM for emergency medicine Dr Charl van Loggerenberg confirmed the nurse had tested positive. Bam said the nurse is presently regarded as the prime source of the virus.
Van Loggerenberg said since January or February 2020, a total of 30 healthcare workers had tested positive for COVID-19 at Life St Mary's Private Hospital. There is one death so far, he said.
Bam added: "After her, other members of the community were also discovered to be infected, resulting in four of them, all of them elderly, succumbing to the virus last week. In the meantime, it has been discovered that more Sisters are infected, young and old. Presently 17 have tested positive, 15 are negative and three are still waiting for the results of the test."
[link url="https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/covid-19-four-nuns-die-17-more-test-positive-as-coronavirus-hits-mthatha-convent-20200617"]Full News24 report[/link]