Western Cape in the grips of COVID-19 third wave: Dr Cloete

The head of the Western Cape Health Department Dr Keith Cloete says the province is now in the grips of a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Western Cape currently has over 9 000 active cases, a rapid increase of over 3 000 within a week.

Cloete, who was speaking during a digital media briefing, says while most cases are still recorded within the private sector, there is a steady increase in the public health domain.

42 000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are expected to arrive in the province on Thursday and Cloete says the department is geared towards much greater capacity than is currently in use.

He says the public’s behaviour remains crucial and is at the core of the increase in the number of infections.

On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the country is moving to alert level 3 in a bid to curb increasing COVID-19 cases.

Alert level 3:

South Africa moves to lockdown alert level 3

Dr Keith Cloete says the Western Cape has now officially reached the third wave after a 60% increase in new cases (from 3507 to 9309) in the past week alone @Sonkoerant pic.twitter.com/sNV2lKluRr

— uMzondi kaZiyeka (@mfazwe_anele) June 17, 2021