The rising positivity rate amongst people testing for the coronavirus in the Eastern Cape is a point of concern for the provincial government.
Premier Oscar Mabuyane and Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth addressed the media at the Nelson Mandela Academic hospital in Mthatha about the rising infection rate in the province, driven by the Omicron variant.
The Nelson Mandela and Buffalo City Metros have the highest numbers of infected people.
SA COVID-19 | Eastern Cape government concerned about rising number cases:
Mabuyane says the province is dealing with more than six thousand 300 active cases and has urged people to be extra cautious.
“COVID-19 cases are increasing at a rapid rate in our province. Active cases currently stand at about 6368. We have also heard this week that President Cyril Ramaphosa has also tested positive for COVID-19.
We wish all the people who have been diagnosed with the virus, including our President, a speedy recovery. Our two metros, the Nelson Mandela Bay as well as Buffalo City account for 50,1 per cent of our active cases, and that means residents in both metros must take extra care.”
Meanwhile Eastern Cape Health MEC, Nomakhosazana Meth, says the rate of vaccination is not satisfactory, attributing it to a lack of resources and financial constraints.
“We can’t hide the fact that the department of health has some financial constraints which sometimes, even the cars that we hire to do the outreaches to the far fetched and far-flung areas in terms of our deep deep rural, sometimes we get those stops and goes but we continue to try to get whatever we can get to reinforce the work that we do now. As we speak now, we have since added the vehicles and outreaches are still continuing.”
