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South Africa reported more than 5,500 new coronavirus cases over the weekend, amid mounting concerns around critical areas of the country.
The government reported 3,198 new cases on Saturday (November 28) with 2,563 additional cases reported on Sunday (November 29), bringing the total cases for the weekend to 5,761.
The total number of deaths in the country now stands at 21,477, while the number of recoveries is 730,633.7.
Many of these new cases are concentrated in hotspot areas, mainly in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, and both regions are now considering tighter restrictions to combat the increase in cases.
As of Sunday, the Western Cape reported a total of 131,730 cases, 16.7% of the national total, while the Eastern Cape reported 126,520 cases, 16.1% of the national total.
Western Cape Prime Minister Alan Winde met with health officials on Friday, with a five-point plan from the health department to be presented to the provincial cabinet on Tuesday for adoption.
Winde told the Argus weekend that one of the measures discussed is a ‘mini blockade’, but as a last resort.
“What is happening in other parts of the world, like Australia and Singapore, is what they call a circuit breaker. The easiest way to explain it would be a mini block, ”he said.
“They put certain regulations in a municipality or district for six days … no weddings, funerals, super spread events, so no permits were issued.
“This circuit breaker allows track and trace and slows down hospitalization because it slows down its spread. But it’s a complex that I don’t want to move to because you have wedding businesses that make a living from it, ”he said.
Senior Eastern Cape officials told the Sunday Times they are also considering imposing tighter restrictions. This comes after Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize met with local business and political leaders on Friday in Port Elizabeth.
“The decision was well received even by the innkeepers. The minister’s initial thought was that we go to level 4. But the meeting reached a compromise that we would go to level 3, ”they said.
“This means that all taverns will have to close. There will be no drinks on site and a tighter curfew will be introduced.”
These decisions have yet to be confirmed by the government’s National Coronavirus Command Council.
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