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Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize warned that urgent action must be taken in districts where new outbreaks of Covid-19 infection are occurring, particularly in the Eastern Cape.
The minister was in the province on Tuesday to help with an intervention strategy in critical areas.
The government noted that 1,245 new cases have been registered in the last 24 hours in South Africa, up from 1,842 on Sunday, bringing the number of Covid-19 cases detected to 752,269.
The Eastern Cape has the largest number of active assets with 8,607, followed by the Free State 8,540, the Western Cape 5,884, KwaZulu-Natal 5,174 and the Northern Cape 3,711.
Over the past few weeks, the province has seen sudden increases in positive Covid-19 cases in several districts and sub-districts, contributing to a 50% increase in weekly numbers. Most of the infections have arisen from the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan municipality.
As of November 16, 2020, there were 4,324 active cases in the city, with 837 new infections recorded on Saturday, November 14, 2020, and 437 new cases recorded on Sunday, November 15, 2020.
Hotspot areas include Motherwell, KwaZakhele, and New Brighton, with concerns about infection levels in Chatty, Walmer, and Central, which are also rapidly becoming hotspot areas.
“Covid-19 cases are growing in these areas at an alarming rate,” said Acting Mayor Thsonono Buyeye.
Dr. Mkhize said Tuesday that he is working with the province to come up with an action plan to counter the surge in infections, including:
- Move Cuban doctors and get the support of Doctors Without Borders to reinforce where doctors are needed in the province;
- Increase testability and response time;
- Ensuring that staff have access to PPE;
- Help staff avoid burnout and ensure they have mental support;
- Promote social change and ensure Covid-19 regulations are met.
The final point is more urgent, the minister said, noting that he was shown images of taverns, street parties and festivals where Covid-19 regulations were not being followed.
In these cases, there were a large number of people in a confined area, all of whom were not wearing masks or practicing social distancing. Mkhize said that commercial organizations that do not comply with Covid-19 prevention protocols should be closed or fined.
Alcohol problem
Mayor Buyeye took aim at bars and taverns and said the liquor trade sector has been identified as the largest contributor to the growing numbers in Nelson Mandela Bay.
He said the city will embark on a training campaign and workshops with tavern owners to educate and train them on how to comply with regulations.
The mayor previously warned that the city will engage with the government to reintroduce stricter lockdown measures to help keep infections at bay. The city has already proposed that the curfew be tightened, to start at 10 p.m. instead of midnight.
The issue of alcohol abuse will become a central theme as the holiday season approaches.
The government was quick to remind South Africans of a possible Covid-19 spike during the holiday season. President Ramaphosa specifically drew attention to the movement between provinces, the increase in social gatherings and social drinking.
Speaking during an interview in 702, Mkhize warned that there will be a lot of complacency in the holiday season.
“Right now, our biggest concern is the holiday season. People want to go out and have fun without adhering to containment measures. “
He sent a strong message that the country is not out of the woods yet, as the government works 24 hours a day to prevent a resurgence.
He once again told people that the main weapon against the deadly virus is the ability to prevent spread and cluster outbreaks.
“That is why hand washing, the use of disinfectants and social distancing become very important. For now, we have no vaccine. So we must comply with containment measures. “
Professor Salim Abdool Karim, from the Covid-19 Ministerial Advisory Committee, has warned against “pandemic fatigue.” He 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 hopeful that 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. “
Alcohol ban
Dr. Mkhize said in a briefing on Sunday night (November 15) that the government was forced to analyze the impact of alcohol on the country’s health sector during the initial shutdown.
The sale of alcohol was banned to free up hospital beds and make it easier for healthcare workers to focus on Covid-19-related cases.
The Health Minister pointed to the difficulties surrounding alcohol prohibition in a democratic country, noting that the government needed scientific evidence in court to enforce the prohibition previously.
“Our approach would be, we don’t have yet, the basis on which to apply the same restrictions that we have done before. “We will play it by ear.”
“Whenever a situation arises that requires certain restrictions, the government will not hesitate to bring them. We are not at that level, “he said.
Mkhize said that a national conversation must take place about access to alcohol and all the negative outcomes of alcohol abuse.
Meanwhile, Police Minister Bheki Cele said that while the country cannot permanently ban alcohol, the government must step in and change the laws to ensure that alcohol abuse is addressed.
“We believe that better use of alcohol will result in a safer South Africa, especially in terms of murder and gender-based violence. I want (the critics) to know that while alcohol is not the only factor, it is one of the biggest involved with these negative things.
“We cannot ban alcohol, but it is necessary to improve its use. You cannot have a shebeen that closes at 04:00 in the morning. We need laws to help us with this, ”he said.
The warnings come after President Ramaphosa recently announced that closure restrictions would be lowered further, allowing retailers, restaurants and other venues to sell alcohol at authorized times.
The damage is done
Despite the risks and caveats, the alcohol industry in general has welcomed the go-ahead to sell alcohol at full capacity, especially before the holiday season.
On Monday (November 16) Shoprite Holdings released an operational update for the quarter ending September 2020, being the latest retailer to detail how the blockade and restriction on the sale of alcohol affected its business.
While the group saw an improvement in sales at its supermarkets, including Shoprite, Checkers and Usave, the group said its LiquorShop business was severely affected as it was forced to remain closed for 60 of the 91 days of the period.
Other retailers, including Makro, Pick n Pay, and Spar, as well as the entire restaurant industry, have reported low alcohol sales as a result of the shutdown.
“It is my pleasure to report that since last week, South Africa’s nationwide lockdown regulations related to restricting the trade in off-consumption liquor were lifted,” Shoprite said.
“The upshot of this is that our major LiquorShop retail business, which was previously restricted to trade on weekends and on weekdays after 5pm, is now able to operate seven days a week.
“This is a significant change for the group and comes at a significant time as we begin our important holiday season period.”
Read: How Covid-19 Has Changed In South Africa Over The Last Two Weeks: Mkhize
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