As South Africa’s confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to spike, the Western Cape is expected to start its peak by the end of June and the beginning of July.
The province has the highest confirmed COVID-19 cases and the highest number of related deaths in the country.
It has recorded 57 new deaths overnight.
The peak is the most critical, challenging and devastating period of the coronavirus. Various projections have been made that the COVID-19 related deaths and daily infections could double when the peak is reached.
On Thursday, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde reminded businesses that as more economic activity is opened up, their responsibility should also increase to curb the spread of the virus as the province will be moving towards the peak within the next ten to 12 days.
Winde has urged people in the Western Cape to wear their masks, maintain social distancing and practice hygiene as it will be more critical to do so during this peak period.
The province has also indicated that it has prepared more burial sites for COVID-19 related deaths should the need arise during the peak period.
The provincial Department of Health has urged members of the public who are unable to self-isolate due to economic or social reasons; to make use of its various isolation and quarantine facilities across the province.
The Department says it currently has around 1 200 beds available for people to isolate themselves or go into quarantine if they test positive for COVID-19.
Provincial Health Minister Dr Nomafrench Mbombo says the quarantine and isolation bed spaces are under-utilised at this stage. She was speaking during Premier Alan Winde’s weekly COVID-19 digital media briefing.
“We encourage people, especially during this time, under the weather and the bad conditions in an environment where you can’t even be able to self-isolate because of the weather conditions; please make use of those. It’s part of strengthening the whole health system.” Additional reporting by Corbin August.
In the video below, Western Cape Health MEC Dr Nomafrench Mbombo discusses the high number of COVID-19 cases in the province.
