Covid-19: Worrying numbers prompt Government to visit problem provinces
Both the Minister of Health and the President will visit these two provinces which have shown a concerning spike in infections.
Minister of Health, Dr Zweli Mkhize will visit the Eastern and Western Cape from 8 to 10 May for an oversight visit, the Department of Health has announced.
According to the latest statistics, these two provinces were experiencing rapid increases in confirmed Covid-19 cases, with the Western Cape accounting for 76 percent of new cases and the Eastern Cape for 9 percent.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he too would visit these provinces during the course of next week to personally assess the situation.
Of the 663 new cases reported by the department on 8 May, 503 were in the Western Cape and 60 in the Eastern Cape.
In addition to the Western Cape accounting for just over 50 percent of the Covid-19 burden in South Africa, it also had the highest number of deaths. Of the 8895 positive cases countrywide, 4497 were from the Western Cape, and of the 178 deaths recorded nationally, just under half – 88 – had occurred in that province.
“With interprovincial movement between these provinces being an issue, it will be crucial for us to understand the dynamics driving the epidemic in this region and assist where necessary,” said Dr Mkhize.
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