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By IOL reporter 
3h ago
Cape Town – Western Cape Prime Minister Alan Winde is concerned that there has been a slight increase in new Covid-19 infections, particularly in the Cape Town metro.
However, it said in a statement Thursday that this has been largely driven by increases in private sector testing in the northern, southern and western sub-districts, but that they continue to closely monitor and follow these trends.
“ At this stage, the data does not point to signs of clusters of infections, but with the Easter weekend and school holidays approaching, we must remain very vigilant to ensure that clusters and over-broadcast events do not occur. ‘ ‘.
The Western Cape has recorded six additional deaths, bringing the total number of Covid-19-related deaths in the province to 11,464.
While always on the alert to delay a possible third wave, Winde said hospital admissions and deaths continue to decline, with declines of 22% and 62% respectively over the past week.
“Our wastewater data continues to show low or reduced levels of SARS CoV-2 at our treatment plants,” he said.
” A total of 824 Covid-19 patients are currently hospitalized in the province, and Covid-19 hospitalizations continue to decline.
” Covid-19 hospital occupancy is currently 10% in the Metro, 15% in the George drainage area, 22% in Paarl and 21% in Worcester.
” Our Hospital of Hope in Brackengate currently has 13 inpatients. At Mitchell’s Plain, there are 2 patients admitted to Freesia and Ward 99.
” The Mitchells Plain Hospital of Hope and the Sonstraal Hospital in Paarl currently have no patients. The Mitchells Plain Hospital of Hope will now begin admitting non-Covid patients. The infrastructure will remain in place to be reactivated in the event that a third wave requires it.
Nearly 50,000 healthcare workers in the province have so far been vaccinated with the J&J vaccine as part of the Sisonke implementation study.
“We anticipate that we will be able to cover 50% of the health workers in the province with the doses that are received through this study,” said Winde.
” The province is also in an advanced planning stage for the deployment of phase 2, which is scheduled to start in May. During this phase, we will increase dramatically as we anticipate vaccinating 30,000 to 40,000 people per day, at a mix of sites ranging from oversized sites in major hospitals to outreach sites in small communities.
” The goal is to vaccinate as many high-risk people as possible before a possible third wave reaches the province. This will reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths in any subsequent wave. ”
Winde has also appealed to countries that bought more vaccines than they can use to ship to South Africa. The provincial government has already sent letters to 28 companies as it works to secure its own shares.
“If you have excess, we are very interested,” Winde said during his weekly digicon on the pandemic on Thursday.
MESS
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