1,010 virus cases among Western Cape public health workers – dept

The Western Cape health department has confirmed 1,010 doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have been infected with the coronavirus in the public sector.

Of these, six have died and 462 have recovered, the department said on Wednesday.

According to figures supplied, 61 doctors, 560 nurses and 389 other healthcare workers had been infected.

The fatalities were three nurses, two household aids and one porter.

The department said in a statement a health facility was a place of gathering, meaning the risk of transmission remained high in any place where people congregate.

It confirmed the infections – which include recoveries – at some hospitals were:

• 221 at Tygerberg Hospital.

• 130 at Groote Schuur Hospital.

• 61 at Khayelitsha Hospital.

• 57 at New Somerset Hospital.

• 50 at Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

• 42 at Lentegeur Hospital.

• 34 at Karl Bremer Hospital.

• 26 across Emergency Medical Services.

• 25 at Victoria Hospital.

• 24 at Mitchells Plain Hospital.

There were 170 confirmed cases at private facilities. Of these, 126 have recovered while one doctor and one nurse have died.

Active cases stood at 42 at these private hospitals.

There were also eight confirmed cases at NGOs and private pharmacies, with seven recovered and one still active.

According to Wednesday’s provincial statistics, 16,551 people have tested positive for the virus, up by 795 from Tuesday.

A total of 8 504 have recovered, while 387 have died.

Beds

The department confirmed there were 665 patients in both the public and private sector facilities in general care, with an existing capacity of 2,162 general care beds.

A total of 178 patients are currently admitted to intensive care or high care.

As of Monday, 1,337 people have been admitted to isolation and quarantine sites across the province, while 325 were in designated isolation facilities and 137 in quarantine facilities.

According to the department, the National Health Laboratory Service was experiencing a backlog of up to 18,000 tests. As part of its hotspot approach, health workers, vulnerable people with comorbidities and those under investigation in hospital were being prioritised.

The department has, among others, requested that more GeneXpert and reagent kits be re-directed to Western Cape this week by the national health department and would also purchase testing capacity directly from private laboratories, it said.

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