Mass screenings for the novel coronavirus were rolled out to people in several Western Cape suburbs on Monday afternoon as efforts to get ahead of the outbreak in the country continued.

Western Cape Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo visited Mbekweni in Paarl to observe the rollout.

The district has six confirmed positive cases.

"We are here because we have identified this community as a high-density area, based on the geomapping," Mbombo said. 

District health workers went door to door to screen residents. Anyone who displayed symptoms was accompanied to the clinic where a testing centre was set up. 

Seventeen of these centres have been opened at hospitals and clinics across the province. 

"We have put the testing facility outside the hospitals to prevent possible corona[virus] patients from infecting others when seeking help." Mbombo said the district was prepared for any case and 50 beds were already allocated to coronavirus patients.

Sporadic downpours did not deter Mbekweni residents from getting screened on Monday morning. 

Resident Vivian Fortune told News24 that he was grateful for the screenings in the community.  

"It's very good for everyone to know their status when it comes to the disease. A lot of people travel and come into contact with different people, allowing the disease to spread," he said.

Naniwe Vayisi, who went to the mobile clinic to be screened, said she was concerned about the rapid spread of the virus. 

"Yoh! I am very worried about this sickness. But when I saw the health department is coming to the community to test the people, I was very happy," she said.

The Western Cape health department is expected to conduct more mass screenings.