Health authorities in the Garden Route say the region has passed its coronavirus peak and infections are now on a downward trajectory.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced that the region had been identified as a coronavirus hotspot.
Spokesperson for the department in the Southern Cape, Nadia Ferreira, says the Hessequa and Little Karoo areas have seen the highest week to week increase while cases in Knysna are dropping.
“We have noticed a 15% increase in the past week compared to the previous week. So ongoing vigilance is needed. Riversdale and Oudtshoorn are the busiest of the district hospitals with Oudtshoorn hospital especially under pressure.”
“George Hospital is at full capacity for COVID-19 and critical care beds. We remind the public to please wear your mask, practice social distancing and avoid crowded places, close contact settings, confined and enclosed spaces with poor ventilation,” adds Ferreira.
In December, 2020, South African National Parks (SANParks) introduced a quota system in some national parks along the Garden Route to restrict the number of visitors.
The Garden Route National Park, covering the Tsitsikamma, Knysna, and Wilderness sections, was expecting an influx of visitors from around the country.
With the blanket closure of beaches along the Garden Route, the national parks are still within limits.
SANParks introduced stricter measures to curb infections for all three sections.
The video below, SANParks introduces quota system in Garden Route:
