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South Africa has passed a bleak milestone in the Covid-19 pandemic, recording more than 1 million accumulated confirmed infections since the crisis first hit the country in March 2020.
Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize announced that the country has registered 1,004,413 cases, with 9,502 new cases reported on Sunday (December 27).
Deaths in the country have risen by 214 more, bringing the total to 26,735.
South Africa’s recovery rate has been encouraging, with the vast majority of those infected having spread the virus. There have been 844,874 recoveries to date. However, the number of active cases has risen rapidly during the second wave of the virus in the country, going from around 40,000 a couple of months ago to 132,804 as of December 27.
“In many countries, this wave has been more severe than the first. Right now, we are in the middle of that. It is important that people take this seriously. It started with the Eastern Cape, then the Western Cape, now KZN and Gauteng followed suit, ”Mkhize said.
“People gather in crowded places, organize parties and forget about masks. These are things that make the situation worse ”.
Mkhize said that things in the Eastern Cape, which led the second wave in the country, are now stabilizing and that the health department will continue to monitor the situation in the province.
“In the Eastern Cape, the problem of the number of patients has been enormous. Private hospitals had been filled before public hospitals. Trials were delayed and staff shortages had to be addressed. Changes were made, this helped alleviate the situation, ”he said.
# COVID-19 Statistics in SA as of December 27.
Use the COVID Alert SA app to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community. Start using this privacy-preserving app today! Add your phone to the fight! Download the Covid Alert SA app now! https://t.co/8YKEqaiiRF pic.twitter.com/N8gjUviMEg
– Dr. Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) December 27, 2020
Lockdown restrictions are coming
The growing number of active cases in the country has prompted calls for urgent intervention from Mkhize and others.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is meeting with the National Coronavirus Command Council, and tighter lockdown restrictions are expected to be announced as a result.
While no official announcement has yet been made on when such restrictions will go into effect, or what will be addressed, various sources have told the media that it will likely be a crackdown on gatherings and the sale of alcohol.
The president is expected to make an announcement in the coming days, with some reports pointing to Tuesday.
Medical experts agree that more lockdown restrictions need to be implemented, but caution that the problem is not so much the restrictions as the application of the rules already in place.
The president of the South African Medical Association, Dr. Angelique Coetzee, told ENCA that law enforcement is a major problem, as South Africans generally do not adhere to current regulations, they do not maintain social distancing protocols. nor do they wear masks.
“We can introduce the strictest regulations; if it is not enforced, it will not help. Right now, what is extremely important is to introduce enforcement regulations, ”he said.
This is particularly important in meetings and in any situation where people are together in closed spaces. If the capacity of any room is greater than 50%, that is extremely dangerous and people should try to get out of this situation, Dr. Coetzee said.
Dr. Coetzee said that lockdown level 2 would be the recommended level to position the country to better cope with the resurgence of Covid-19, but again emphasized that a better application and that each South African takes into account their own health and safety would be the key to successfully fighting the virus.
Read: Covid-19 Warning for South African Businesses in 2021
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