The National Health Department has announced that the Port Elizabeth Provincial Hospital will soon be among those responsible for testing COVID19 in the country.
The Department announced its plans to alleviate the backlog in testing for the Coronavirus over the weekend.
There are currently five National Health Services Laboratories located in academic hospitals across the country. This is in addition to the laboratory at the National Institute for Communicable Deceases in South Africa, which is the reference laboratory.
Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize said they would soon extend the laboratories to the Tshwane, Walter Sisulu and Port Elizabeth Academic Hospitals.
Mkhize said they would also increase the number of mobile testing centres from seven to 47 in April.
He added that these would enable the Department to conduct 30 000 COVID19 tests per day.
On Sunday, there were currently 12 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in the Eastern Cape on Sunday and 1280 across the country. The country also has two confirmed deaths as a result of the virus.
