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Ramaphosa called 2020 a year from hell and paid tribute to the health professionals in the armies who have been working with little rest since COVID-19 arrived.
President Cyril Ramaphosa attended a New Year’s Eve candle lighting ceremony in Khayelitsha on Thursday, December 31, 2020. Image: Presidencia SA.
CAPE TOWN – President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged that there were times in 2020 when the government failed healthcare workers.
Ramaphosa spoke at the year-end candle lighting ceremony in Khayelitsha on Thursday.
He called 2020 a year from hell and paid tribute to health professionals in the military who have been working with little rest since COVID-19 arrived.
“Sometimes we fail you. We didn’t give you the PPE you need on time. We did not give you the protection you require in time and we humbly apologize for that. We should have taken much more care of him. We should have given you more recognition, and we will, Ramaphosa said.
“You have given us the courage to move on. There were times when my own hope was being lost.”
# COVID-19 | President @CyrilRamaphosa at Khayelitsha Hospital in Cape Town, Western Cape, for a candlelight ceremony honoring frontline workers who help combat the #coronavirus pandemic. #Stay safe pic.twitter.com/Pum899GIdq
Presidency | South Africa (@PresidencyZA) December 31, 2020
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize attended a similar event in KwaZulu-Natal, raising concerns about high rates of infection and death among health workers.
It confirmed that 436 healthcare professionals died as a result of the virus in 2020 and that every time a healthcare worker contracts the virus, the system loses at least 10 days of work.
28,469 South Africans are known to succumb to COVID-19 this year, including 436 public health workers who paid the maximum price on the front line. #NYECandleLighting pic.twitter.com/MXj6LeNkQV
Dr. Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) December 31, 2020
The Basic Education Department is another key department concerned about the death rate among staff, particularly among teachers. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more than 30 educators in recent days.
Five days ago I received information that 14 teachers had died in 24 hours, yesterday 18 teachers reported having also died from COVID-19, 32 teachers in less than a week all disappeared, from a single province that reports. The mourning for this vacation is too much.
Elijah Mhlanga (@ElijahMhlanga) December 28, 2020
Updated COVID-19 infection figures reveal 18,000 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours and more than 430 deaths. The positivity rate is still around 32.5%.
# COVID-19 Statistics in SA as of December 31.
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/JdkTzcrq1l
Dr. Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) December 31, 2020
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