Cape Town - The Western Cape has recorded a total of 1 008 Covid-19-related deaths since the start of the outbreak in South Africa, Premier Alan Winde announced on Saturday.
The province, which remains the epicentre of the coornavirus pandemic in the country, has seen total of 39 159 confirmed Covid-19 cases, of which 11 415 are currently active. The province has had over 26 000 recoveries, representing a total of 68% of all cases registered, Winde said.
Daily snapshot
Over the past 24 hours, 1 159 new cases were recorded across the province.
A total of 230 463 tests have been conducted.
Currently, 1 331 patients are receiving in-patient treatment in the province, with 241 of those in intensive care units (ICU) or high-care units.
Supplied by Western Cape Government
The Tygerberg sub-district, which is the area hardest hit by the virus outbreak within the Metro, has recorded 5 394 cases, of which 4 070 have since recovered.
Supplied by Western Cape Government
Among the sub-districts outside the Metro, the Cape Winelands continues to have the highest number of cases with a combined total of 3 092.
Supplied by Western Cape Government
Discrepancies in the daily statistics reported by the National Department of Health and the various provinces are due to differing cut-off times for the submission of provincial and national statistics.
High risk warning
The premier has warned that while many people will only experience mild symptoms and probably would not require hospitalisation, the risk that they could pass the virus to elderly relatives or people who fall into high-risk categories should not be ignored. Those most at risk include individuals with comorbidities or people aged 55 years and older, with or without co-morbidities
"We know that many more people will become sick and we will lose more lives but we must all do everything we can to ensure that we slow the spread of the virus. We all need to make the golden rules of infection prevention a part of our daily lives. We should all still be staying at home as much as possible, washing our hands regularly and cleaning surfaces like counter tops, desks and door handles at home and at work. When you do leave home, ensure that you are wearing a clean cloth mask and keep that 1.5 metre distance between you and any other person when you're standing in queues, waiting for the bus or you're in any area where people are congregating," Winde said.
"For those who fall into the vulnerable groups, it's important that you continue to take additional steps to protect yourself by staying at home, and being vigilant about hand-washing and hygiene."
* For the latest on the Covid-19 outbreak, visit IOL's special #Coronavirus page.
** If you think you have been exposed to the Covid-19 virus, please call the 24-hour hotline on 0800 029 999 or visit sacoronavirus.co.za