LIMPOPO – The Department of Health last week announced that the province has a bed space capacity of 1 161.
“The current critical bed capacity is at about 54 with a critical surge plan to increase to more than 280, whereas general wards would be increased to 640 beds,“ the MEC informed the Provincial Covid Council.
The parliamentary communication services on 14 July, however, listed a master list of proposed quarantine facilities and beds per province amounting to 11 394 beds in Limpopo spread among a total of 415 facilities. This list, provided by the Departments of Public Works and Tourism to Parliament, included state-owned facilities, but mostly private facilities.
The list included facilities such as the Fusion Boutique Hotel , several guest houses, the Park Inn Hotel, Meropa Casino Hotel, Col John, 61 on Ireland, Bolivia Lodge, Victoria Guest House as well as other facilities in Polokwane as well as other tourist destinations such as Swadini Forever Resort, Palala Boutique game Lodge, Kapama River Lodge and Game Resort, Mopani camp in the Kruger National Park , Klein Kariba, Magoebaskloof Hotel, Stanford Lake Secondary School, Merensky School, the Blyde River Canyon Lodge, Die Eiland Spa and other facilities.
A couple of owners of private facilities we spoke to, were not aware that they were listed as proposed quarantine and isolation facilities.
The list included facilities such as game reserves, lodges, guest houses, hotels, school boarding facilities, caravan and camping facilities and state–owned houses.
Limpopo Health Spokesperson, Thilivhali Muavha, said the department has not supplied the list, and has already stated that they would use existing facilities which would be altered.
The parliamentary list of activated facilities and beds per province lists Limpopo as having six facilities with 313 beds, which are sufficient for 52,3 people per million of the population living in the province.
Except for North West, Limpopo is the province with the least beds (activated as on 3 July) per province available per million of its population. Muavha said that the MDR facility would be upgraded to a 100-bed facility.
The PCC held its meeting on 15 July and noted the rising number of infections. The number of health workers infected continued to rise, with 32 in the public sector and 10 in the private sector as at the time of the report and the education sector reported a total of 107 Covid 19 cases, comprising 76 teachers, 30 learners and one non-teaching staff member.
The PCC raised concerns of intermittent closing and opening of schools. These they said are not sustainable.The PCC welcomed the fact that wearing of masks was mandatory as well as the suspension of the sale of alcohol, the new taxi rates of passengers allowed (100% capacity and long distance at 70%) and the re-introduction of the curfew between 21:00 and 04:00 every day.
