[ad_1]
Nelson Mandela Bay Acting Executive Mayor Thsonono Buyeye says the municipality may have to consider a tougher lockdown as it faces an increase in coronavirus infections.
Buyeye told the media this week that the district has become the ‘new coronavirus epicenter in the country’ after positive cases rose from hundreds of infections about two weeks ago to 5,574 active cases this week.
“We are a hotspot in the province, we are a hotspot in the country and that worries us a lot. The speed at which the numbers are increasing is alarming. All citizens must be aware of the danger we are in.
“The reports we are receiving are beginning to scare us. Reports from public and private hospitals indicate that we are in a dire situation as a city. Our hospitals are full; ICU beds are hard to come by, ”he said.
In addition to various interventions that include strict enforcement of the law, Buyeye said the city has requested that the curfew start from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. instead of the 00:00 currently in effect.
Buyeye said comments were still awaited from the provincial government on the request. He said that while a tougher lockdown was not ideal, the city could be forced to apply it to save people’s lives, as there was not a neighborhood that did not have an active case of Covid-19.
Revival plan
The rise in infections in the Eastern Cape was acknowledged by President Cyril Ramaphosa in a national address on Wednesday night (November 11).
“In the last week, the number of new cases in the province was 50% higher than the previous week. And the total number of new cases in the last 14 days was about 145% higher than the previous 14 days, “he said.
“These increases are being driven by massive spikes in the Nelson Mandela metro and in the Sarah Baartman district in particular.”
Ramaphosa said evidence suggests that the increases in the Eastern Cape could have been triggered by outbreaks at higher education institutions such as universities, schools and the attendance of people at large gatherings.
When this is combined with poor adherence to social distancing, the use of masks and other poor hygiene measures, the environment is set for increased infections, he said.
“With many people moving between the Eastern Cape and other provinces, particularly the Western Cape, it is a matter of time before this increase spreads to other parts of the country.
“Therefore, we must take steps to contain the increase in infections.”
In response to the increase, Ramaphosa said the government is implementing a “resurgence plan” that has been developed together with the emergency team deployed to South Africa by the World Health Organization.
Interventions include primary health care outreach teams to intensify contact tracing, daily community mobilization, ensure availability of health facilities, and be ready to respond to potential cluster outbreaks, he said.
“We will work closely with the Eastern Cape provincial government, municipalities and other institutions in the coming days and weeks to ensure this increase is contained and managed.
“What we are witnessing in the Eastern Cape should be a wake-up call for all of us, that we cannot relax and we cannot be complacent.”
Read: Ramaphosa eases lockdown level 1 restrictions, including international travel and alcohol sales
[ad_2]
