Telkom and Samsung join fight to combat Covid-19

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Johannesburg - Telkom SA and Samsung Africa have joined forces with a government in a bid to help track and trace South Africans who might have been exposed to the coronavirus throughout the country. This comes following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that the fight against Covid-19 was entering a new frontier, with around 10 000 field workers set to be deployed to various communities to trace, screen and test people for the global pandemic, which has infected 1353 people and killed five to date. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, flanked by Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku, Telkom chief executive Sipho Maseko and Samsung Africa president Sung Yoon, unveiled 1500 mobile headsets which were donated by the companies and which would be loaded with data monthly to help field workers to trace the Covid-19 victims. Maseko said Telkom had been working with the National Institute for Communicable Disease (NICD) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to develop a novel track and trace solution to identify people who may have contracted Covid-19. Maseko said the track and trace system was in line with global best practice promoted by the World Health Organisation, adding that it also took account of South Africa’s unique circumstances, including high inequality, poverty and dense population in certain communities.

Handover ceremony- the sim cards will be loaded with data every month for use in the field pic.twitter.com/sQqU2AJs6i — Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) April 2, 2020

“At Telkom we are deeply concerned about what the spread of this pandemic may mean for ordinary South Africans and for the already overstretched health sector. We are privileged to be able to contribute to this solution which we believe will help to significantly contain the spread of new infections,” Maseko said.

The track and trace system is set to collate multiple data sources, including geographic information system (GIS) to track an infected person’s exposure and who they may have unknowingly exposed to the virus.

Yoon said: “What we face is a generation-defining moment, a challenge unlike any other. However, our belief in Africa and its people remains steadfast and strong. I know, working together, we can and we will rise to this challenge.”

The system is also expected to reduce the reliance on the patient’s own recollections of who they may have exposed to the virus.

Political Bureau

* For the latest on the Covid-19 outbreak visit IOL's #Coronavirus trend page

** If you think you have been exposed to the Covid-19 virus, please call the government's 24-hour hotline on 0800 029 999 or go to SA Coronavirus for more information.