Ninety-nine workers at a single Cape Town factory that the labor department closed this week screened for Covid-19 tested positive.

GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical corporation, announced the number on Saturday, four days after the department said that production and operations at the Epping factory must be suspended until the safety measures have improved.

“Sadly we currently have 99 workers who have been diagnosed with Covid-19 said Natasha Carnow, human resources manager at the Cape, GSK.

“We are committed to supporting these isolated workers at work, including the provision of necessary food and medical supplies, and full pay.

“We will continue to manufacture important consumer health goods for SA while keeping our own people safe,” said Carnow’s announcement on Saturday that the labor department approved the reopening of the factory “based on the on-site health and safety measures.”

“Our focus is the safety of all of our employees. We are working to reopen the site while safeguarding our team’s health and safety. We continue to work with our global experts and members of our unions to ensure we do everything we can, and will announce our decision to reopen in due course.

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