Health Department concerned about rapid increase in Western Cape COVID-19 cases

The Health Department has raised concerns over the rapid increase in coronavirus cases in the Western Cape. This comes as the province records 2135 cases, the highest of all the provinces.

Nationally, the Department continues to see a rise in cases which now stand at 5340. Ten more people have died from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 103.

Three people also died in Gauteng, two in KwaZulu-Natal and one in the Eastern Cape.

More than 11 000 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours, 66% up from the previous period.

In the past 24 hours, the Western Cape contributed to 75% of the total new cases nationally while only contributing 30% of total tests over the same period.

The Health Ministry has raised concerns over the province after it saw a doubling in the number of daily cases with 264. This is the highest number of new cases recorded in the Western Cape in a 24-hour period.

The province has also recorded the highest number of deaths. Among those who died in the province is a 33-year-old female who presented flu-like symptoms and low blood oxygen, the youngest of the 10 deaths recorded.

The Department says the trend in the Western Cape has prompted it to deploy additional support to the province to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Of the over 200 Cuban doctors that came to South Africa to assist in the fight against the pandemic, 30 of them will be deployed to the Western Cape.

 INFOGRAPHIC: South Africa’s COVID-19 cases and deaths:

Health workers contract COVID-19

 Meanwhile, a presentation by the Department of Health on COVID-19 this week revealed that 328 health workers have contracted the COVID-19 virus.

Briefing the media on Tuesday night, Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize said one retired doctor died of coronavirus in the Free State.

“Our biggest ammunition on fighting COVID-19 is a technical professional training among our health workers in the frontline. It is important for the health workers to be well trained, it is important for the health workers to be well protected. In this case, we have noticed that the protective gear tends to be a moving target, one time we have enough, one time there is a shortage, particularly that the whole world is looking for this protective gear. There is adequate stock to share among the various institutions.”

The presentation further revealed that 133 health workers contracted the virus in public facilities and 195 in private facilities.

 Below is the full presentation:

Below is WHO media briefing on the pandemic:  

COVID 19 Media Health Presentation 28 April 2020 (Text)