By Neo Kolane
An outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has now struck the Maputsoe textile and garment industries in the Leribe district.
The National COVID-19 Secretariat (NACOSEC) deputy chief executive officer Thabo Ntoi revealed on Thursday last week that the outbreak has contributed to the increasing number of the positive cases in the country.
Ntoi said that the outbreak started in schools in Leribe and the infection rates at the factories is still increasing.
He added that there is increasing number of infection rate at workplaces.
“The increasing infection rate is suspected to be linked with the delta variant,” Ntoi said.
Speaking with theReporter today, the district administrator of Leribe, Mohlophehi Mohobelo confirmed that there are 197 positive cases at the factories manufacturing a variety of textile and garment products in that town.
Mohobelo said that he cannot confirm where the infection began but thought it might have started at Hlotse, a major town of Leribe where he assumed one worker might have been positive and as a result infected some people.
He said the on-going contact tracing was to determine the people who have been in contact with those who are already infected so as to be isolated.
