The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) says it will shut down the Port Elizabeth district office of the Department of Health after two nurses from the Zwide Clinic died and at least 11 others tested positive for the coronavirus.

After the outbreak at the Zwide Clinic, six trade unions from different sides of the political spectrum joined forces as the "combined health unions" and forced the Zwide and KwaZakhele clinics to shut their doors until the buildings were disinfected and all health workers tested negative.

The rest of the Zwide clinic health workers were only tested three days after the death of their colleague but were told to keep working until their results came in.

At the protest, the nurses repurposed the popular struggle song "Sizo xola kanjani... (How can we be peaceful when... )" to bemoan the lack of PPE and sanitisers: "Sizo nursa kanjani i corona (How can we nurse coronavirus patients [when we need nursing procedures

The protest on 11 May resulted in an agreement with the district health office that Zwide Clinic would be closed until thermal infrared thermometers and PPE had been provided, and that union leaders would also be called in to verify that there is enough protective equipment to create a clinically safe space for health workers and patients.

The district health office also sent letters to Covid-19 positive nurses confirming "permission to de-isolate after Covid-19 positive test" - in other words, to return to work - but these letters were sent on 16 May to nurses who only began isolating after testing positive on 10 May.

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