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South Africa’s general coronavirus statistics show that the country is doing ‘incredibly well’ in its response to the pandemic, and there is no need to worry, says Covid-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee Chairman Professor Salim Abdool Karim.
Talking to Jacaranda On Wednesday (Nov 11), Karim said that while daily new infections can get quite high, it was important not to look at daily coronavirus statistics, which can show variations, but rather to look at statistics on an average of seven days. .
“If you look at an average of seven days, we have been quite stable and have done reasonably well. We had a bit of a tilt, but (now) it has stabilized and the situation now is that we have local transmission at a fairly local level. “
Karim said the country has seen some outbreaks in recent weeks, particularly in parts of the Eastern Cape. However, he said these outbreaks appear to be under control after an initial spike in infections.
He said his advice at this stage of the epidemic is Continue with current blocking restrictions as is.
“We are at this stage in a pretty good position overall in the epidemic, there is no need for us to change anything in my opinion. There is a problem, which is December: when December arrives, people will move a lot and this virus loves movement ”.
However, Karim said a bigger problem is that South Africans are becoming increasingly complacent in their response to the dangers of the coronavirus.
He said that people are letting their guard down and without masks, a phenomenon that is not unique to South Africa as the whole world is facing “pandemic fatigue”.
Karim said this fatigue, combined with increased movement, drinking and partying during the December holidays, is cause for concern.
“We are heading into a December period that carries many risks. We’re hoping we can get through it simply by making sure we’re more vigilant and controlling the prospects for super spreader events.
“If we can do that, we can get through December with just a small increase. Because if we don’t, we are facing the possibility of a second increase. “
Karim said South Africa already has “good” rules regarding events and mask use during its current level 1 lockdown.
Rather than introducing more restrictions proactively, he said it was more a matter of enforcement and ensuring current rules were followed.
Monday, Bloomberg reported that the government is considering reimposing various measures aimed at containing the coronavirus pandemic as fears about a second wave mount, citing three officials familiar with the situation.
The option to reintroduce the restrictions is likely to be on the table when the National Coronavirus Command Council meets this week, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information has not been made public.
South Africa reported having 1,729 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday (Nov 10), bringing the reported total to 740,254.
Deaths have reached 19,951 (a daily increase of 106), while recoveries have risen to 683,194, leaving the country with a balance of 37,109 active cases.
Read: Warning of major job losses and economic decline if tougher lockdown returns to South Africa
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