Cape Town – As President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to announce further plans to stop the spread of the Covid-19 second wave, the country continued to record high infections, with almost 8 000 new cases and 170 deaths yesterday.
The Health Department last night said 7999 new cases were confirmed, bringing the cumulative number to 860 964, with 23 276 deaths and 761 011 recoveries.
Ramaphosa’s anticipated address this evening follows yesterday’s meetings of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), the President’s Co-ordinating Council (PCC) and a special sitting of the Cabinet.
The Presidency said the time of his address would be announced today.
The Western Cape was identified as the Covid-19 driver when Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize told the nation last week that the country had entered the much-feared second wave.
The Northern and Tygerberg subdistricts in the Metro have since been identified as areas of particular concern, with an increase of Covid-19 infections in Bothasig, Bonteheuwel, Delft, Durbanville and Kraaifontein, said the provincial Health Department.
By Friday, new active cases in the northern region (Kraaifontein, Bellville, Durbanville, Brackenfell, Bothasig and Parow) had increased by 96% over seven days.
In the Tygerberg region (Elsies River, Delft, Parow, Bonteheuwel, Bishop Lavis, Belhar and Goodwood) new active cases increased by 68% over seven days.
Provincial Health Department spokesperson Mark van der Heever said there were currently 245 healthcare workers infected with Covid-19 over the same period.
“All of our hospitals are seeing an increase in Covid-19 and non-Covidcases. This is due to us needing to reintegrate non-Covid services.
“As a collective, the Metro hospitals currently operate at 81% (capacity) with 861 open beds and the rural hospitals operate at 84% with 415 beds available. This changes daily.
’’Bed occupancy of all beds across the platform is monitored through our Bed Bureau system and managed accordingly to assess the need as the resurgence progresses,” Van der Heever said.
Covid-19 and people under investigation for Covid-19 (PUI) cases make up 10% of hospital admissions in the Metro and 13% of hospital admissions in the rural areas with both increasing daily.
The Hospital of Hope, Brackengate, currently has 179 patients with 1 227 cumulative admissions, and Sonstraal currently has five Covid-19 patients and 22 TB patients.
“The oxygen utilisation has increased in line with the increase in cases (46% of available capacity) and the mass fatality centre has admitted 483 bodies to date,” Van der Heever said.
By yesterday, the provincial dashboard recorded an additional 2 564 Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number to 153 843 confirmed infections with 5 097 deaths.
Contact tracing lead Delaray Fourie continues to closely monitor cases with her team and urged residents to keep safe.
“There is no power in numbers this festive season. This means that we need to avoid crowded spaces or large gatherings. If you do enter a crowded space, like a shop or beach, remember to wear your mask and keep a distance. We cannot let our guards down.
The virus is still here. Power in numbers during Covid-19 means that we band together and keep each other safe by following the rules,” Fourie said.
“If you went for a test, you need to isolate until you receive your results. If you have tested positive, you need to isolate.
’’Avoid attending any gatherings or allowing close contact with anyone until you have recovered or have certainty on your Covid-19 status. While this is not an easy journey, we can do our bit by isolating to contain the spread.”
The City, meanwhile, has advised residents to anticipate disruptions to basic services, City operations and customer offices at times, and at short notice.
Cape Times