[ad_1]
President Cyril Ramaphosa. (GCIS)
- Health Minister Zweli Mkhize lit candles for those who died as a result of Covid-19 this year.
- Mkhize was in KwaZulu-Natal with the province’s prime minister and the MEC of health on New Year’s Eve for the candle lighting ceremony.
- In a candle lighting ceremony In Cape Town, President Cyril Ramaphosa declared 2020 the year of health workers.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize led a candle-lighting ceremony in KwaZulu-Natal on New Year’s Eve to pay tribute to the more than 28,000 people who lost their lives to Covid-19 in 2020, as the new daily cases reach 18,000.
Mkhize along with KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala and Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu lit candles at King Edward Hospital as a tribute, and also honored healthcare workers. Mkhize announced that the country had passed the 18,000 mark in terms of daily infections and that, as of Thursday, 436 people had died from Covid-19, bringing the death toll to 28,469.
“We previously warned that this second wave will dwarf the first wave, and indeed this is the case, as we are witnessing a sharp increase in the number of active cases. Despite running 55,000 tests in the last 24 hours, the positivity rate is 32.5% – We continue to highlight this point because it indicates that the virus is spreading so fast that it is outpacing our ability to detect it, even with good response times, “said Mkhize.
Of the more than 28,000 deaths, Mkhize said 436 were public health workers.
READ ALSO | The main news of 2020 in 6 minutes
“Today, in response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call, we are here to remember our mothers, our fathers, our sisters, our brothers, our friends, our colleagues, and our loved ones who have been so cruelly taken from us by Covid-19. Hundreds of people die every day.
“By now, I’m sure we all know someone who passed away from Covid-19. Today alone, 436 more Covid-19-related deaths have been reported. May the soul of the deceased rest in eternal peace and may we all to be comforted by the happy memories we have shared with those who have left us, “he added.
The cumulative number of cases is 1,057,161, while deaths stand at 28,469 and recoveries are 83% less than 1% since Wednesday.
To date, 43,124 healthcare workers have been infected with the virus.
“Every time a healthcare worker is infected with Covid-19, we lose at least 10 days of work [that is] so desperately needed during this time. We may lose these precious resources longer if they get sick and need to be treated and isolated for longer. We can lose them forever if they succumb to Covid-19, “Mkhize said.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announces over 18,000 new infections on New Year’s Eve
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa was leading a candle lighting ceremony at the Khayelitha District Hospital in Cape Town. Also in attendance were Western Cape Prime Minister Alan Winde and his Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo.
Ramaphosa went on to declare 2020 as the year of healthcare workers.
“I declare 2020 as the year of our country’s health workers who are the heroes and heroines of the fight that South Africa has waged against Covid-19,” he said.
“This virus continues to wreak destruction on our land and you are there to protect our people,” he told the country’s health workers.
“We are in awe, we bow our heads, we take off our hats and also kneel, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
In his closing remarks for 2020, the President thanked South Africans for the resilience and Ubuntu they had demonstrated during the tough times this year.
