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Patients in a hospital along the Garden Route.
- Health Minister Zweli Mhkize visited Garden Route on Friday to discuss the rise in Covid-19 infections in the region.
- Some municipalities have canceled events after active cases in the Western Cape increased by nearly 3,000 cases in one week.
- Mhkize has warned that Covid-19 numbers must be kept low to prevent pressure from being put on local healthcare workers.
Health Minister Zweli Mhkize visited Garden Route to inspect plans aimed at addressing the rise in coronavirus infections in the region.
Mhkize met with Western Cape Health’s MEC Nomafrench Mbombo and the mayors of the districts within the area on Friday to discuss the challenges he faces due to the resurgence of Covid-19 cases.
The outbreaks in the Garden Route and the Eastern Cape, which many fear could cause a second wave of the pandemic if not contained, have taken authorities “by surprise,” Mkhize said.
This is due to the rapid increase in cases, which have skyrocketed in just a few weeks.
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The Western Cape Health Department says Garden Route’s second wave of Covid-19 is surpassing its first peak in terms of admissions, while active cases across the province have risen from 7,793 to 10,442 in the past week. . Most of the new cases are on the Garden Route and Cape Metro.
In an effort to contain the increase, some Garden Route municipalities have canceled large public events. All events at George have been canceled and venues are not available for events. The municipality of Kannaland has done the same and closed all the facilities, including the town halls.
“We need to do something more difficult. The numbers are increasing faster and we cannot afford to have high numbers that overwhelm our health services,” Mkhize said.
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The minister said there were concerns that the movement during the holiday season could further spread infections, and said the increased movement of people during the first wave brought more cases of Covid-19.
Data
He said there was not yet enough data from the new outbreaks to develop models and early warnings of hotspot areas. He added that his department would need to collect live data for a few weeks to improve modeling and help implement interventions.
Mkhize added that the shortage of staff is one of the weaknesses facing health systems in the area.
“We have the systems in place, but we feel pressure that has displaced the usual services,” he says.
Mkhize added that the first wave of the pandemic had been so exhausting for many healthcare workers that they are still feeling the effects.
“Our staff are more experienced … they are less fearful and more knowledgeable than before, but there is still social tension in the health staff,” he said.
Mkhize added that that health department will distribute ventilators and oxygen canisters used in dissolved field hospitals to needy areas.
