Limpopo active cases at 900 and declining daily – provincial command council
Of the about 12,000 infected, about 11,000 had recovered and only 900 cases remained active.
Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba. Nehawu and the DA are calling for the suspension of MEC Ramathuba and all government officials who might have benefitted in the R900 million Covid-19 PPE tenders that recently set tongues wagging nationwide. Image: Twitter/ @PhophiRamathuba
Limpopo has a death toll of less than 200 and an infection rate of about 12 000 since the virus hit early this year, the Limpopo Coronavirus Command Council (LCCC) said yesterday.
Council chairperson Stanley Mathabatha said the LCCC appreciated the move to lockdown Level 2 and had observed a few changed characteristics in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. He said in spite of cautionary warnings about a possible resurgence of cases, the province still had less than 200 deaths since the advent of the pandemic.
“Only three health workers, who are general practitioners practising independently in the private sector, have so far succumbed to the virus.
“We would like to reiterate our call for all healthcare workers, public or private, to make sure they are fully dressed in personal protective equipment (PPE) before touching any patient. Our infection rate is at about 12 000 and we are pleased to announce the rate is declining on a day-to-day basis,” said Mathabatha with a broad smile.
He said that of the about 12,000 infected, about 11,000 had recovered and only 900 cases remained active. Mathabatha said the LCCC was also presented with a procurement plan that Treasury had developed within national guidelines.
The strategy, according to Mathabatha, looked into procurement guidelines as per the constitution of South Africa. The guidelines were those utilised in the Covid-19 procurement systems all over the country. Mathabatha, who is also the province’s premier and ANC provincial chairperson, said his province was still concerned about the gradual increase in gender-based violence (GBV) cases since the moves to lockdown Level 3 and now Level 2.
Mathabatha said the LCCC and the province at large took gender-based violence very seriously. He said it was everyone’s duty to protect women and children from men who used their power to abuse, instead of protect, them. The premier said men who abused women and children were cowards and deserved lengthy jail terms.
Mathabatha also applauded the reopening of schools in the province. He said Limpopo had observed the smooth return of nine grades to schools at the beginning of this week. The returning cohort joined pupils in Grades 7 and 12, who had been back in class for more than two weeks.
“All pupils and equally their [teachers] have been provided with Covid-19 health essentials and social distancing protocols are observed in accordance with the revised standard operating procedures for the management of the virus in schools. The provincial department of education has also indicated that progression and promotion of pupils this year will be done differently across grades, based on either tests, exams, assessment and sometimes based on subject matters,” said Mathabatha.
He said the LCCC urged Limpopo people to continue to be cautious, wear masks, observe social distancing and not to drink alcohol in excess.
– news@citizen.co.za
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