Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has attributed the increase of infections in the Western Cape to cluster outbreaks of COVID-19.
He was briefing the media following a meeting with the Western Cape Premier, medical experts and the MEC for Health, Nomafrench Mbombo, on Saturday.
Minister Mkhize explained how a cluster outbreak happens and how it quickly spread the virus.
“Cluster outbreaks is a situation where people who are sharing a common experience or common geographic location infect one another. Therefore, at one time you may find many people positive at the same time, and once you have got that confirmed, you realise that the area that brought them together is not necessarily their own day area of their daily residence. They then move out to various other places where they spread the infection in areas that has nothing to do with the area where they are working. But then you start getting the spread. That is what has been happening in the Western Cape and there has been another number of areas where they have had to close, factories, and shopping centres to reduce the spread.”
In the video below, Minister Mkhize confirms 9 420 COVID-19 cases and 186 deaths:
As at today the total number of confirmed #Covid_19 cases are 9420, the total number of deaths is 186 and the total number of recoveries is 3983. pic.twitter.com/vCSVHNT7Rv
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) May 9, 2020
Mkhize also expressed concern over unexpected local transmissions of COVID-19 infections in the province.
“What we are seeing now here is something that the internal transmission has happened here in the Western Cape, – probably earlier and faster than we all anticipated, and that means we have to the focus on the number of things what needs to be done to deal with this kind of situation.”
#MinisterMkhizeSpeaks
Coronavirus hotspots like Cape Town, Johannesburg & eThekwini may require tighter restrictions.
“We will rely on your support and cooperation” pic.twitter.com/sYmwBcxHMu— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) May 10, 2020
Western Cape Health MEC, Nomafrench Mbombo, says they have developed guidelines that have to be followed by various sectors to curb the spread of COVID-19.
“We have published those guidelines for each sector so that we can know that when you are working in an environment like a post office, – what is your responsibility as an employer and as an employee. Supermarket, – what is the responsibility as a shop owner and also as a shop user, what we call supermarket etiquette, so we have been there.”
The death toll of COVID-19 in the province remains the highest in the country. One thousand and 200 new infections and 24 more deaths were recorded from the 6th to the 9th of May alone.
Clinics temporarily closed
Meanwhile, the City of Cape Town said nine city clinics in the Cape Metro had to be closed temporarily for decontamination to date, after various staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
The clinics are Dr. Ivan Toms Clinic in Mfulen Hazeldal, Hout Bay, Masiphumelele in Fish Hoek, Ocean View, Albow Gardens in Milnerton, Langa Clinic, Gugulethu and the Nyanga Environmental Health Office.
In a statement, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Zahid Badroodien, says in the event that staff members test positive at a clinic, there are specific guidelines for testing of health care workers who are close contacts of the person who tested positive.
Badroodien says this includes isolation for a specific period and a strict testing regimen.
Minister Mkhize has said government will continue to support efforts to flatten the curve in the province.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected in the Western Cape later this week.
