Covid-19: Five important details from health minister’s latest briefing

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize hosted a press briefing on 3 April to give the latest update about the coronavirus outbreak in the country. Here are five important eye-openers from the briefing:

1. The outbreak is changing in pattern

Mkhize said that for the first few cases, they were largely imported from other countries but increasingly, especially in the Western Cape, they are beginning to find that there are positive cases from people with no recent travel history.

2. Widespread testing to be rolled out in hotspots

One of the significant challenges health authorities are facing is overcrowding. Mhkize said that this factor is significant in the spread of the virus. “We have been able to identify areas which will be called hotspots, these are areas where testing is going to be started in the next couple of days.” He said that the spread of the virus into informal settlements creates a new dynamic of the outbreak and they need to scale up testing, particularly in these areas.

3. Number of confirmed cases affected by limited testing

During the briefing, Mkhize confirmed that there are 1 505 cases of coronavirus, an increase of 43 cases from the previous day. However, he said that it’s important to note that the number is affected by the limitations of reactive testing. “When we extend the testing, which is proactive, we actually expect these numbers to increase a bit more than what we’re seeing here today.”

4. Request for reinforcement

Mkhize said that they have requested reinforcement from other countries. He said that President Cyril Ramaphosa is in discussions with leaders from Cuba and China as well as other countries to see how they may be able to assist.

5. ‘We are in good hands’

Mkhize said that the department is very grateful to health care providers for their commitment and enthusiasm. “They are fairly well informed, they are reading about this and consulting various people about it so I really feel that we are in good hands.” He added that the key will be to ensure that the lockdown works to reduce the spread of the virus.

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