LIMPOPO – The number of Covid-19 cases recorded in the province every 24 hours, are still relatively low in comparison to peak periods.
According to the latest statistics by the Limpopo Department of Health, only 18 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the last reporting cycle. The number is the same amount of cases recorded in the previous 24-hour reporting cycle.
As of February 15, the province has recorded 153 529 Covid-19 cases of which 148 427 people have recovered. Thus far, 4 350 deaths have been recorded in Limpopo as a result of the virus, while there are currently 752 active cases in the province.
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, yesterday (February 14) announced that the State of Disaster has been extended to March 15.
“The extension follows a special cabinet meeting to determine the extent to which the management of the Covid-19 pandemic still requires the existence of the national State of Disaster and the legal framework to manage the virus outside the Disaster Management Act. The extension will allow government to establish alternative measures to detect and contain further outbreaks,” her department’s statement reads.
The government website on February 11 released a statement of the virtual cabinet meeting of February 9. In the statement it is said that, “after noting that some of the key departments dealing with Covid-19 had not yet concluded their analysis, cabinet approved the final extension of the national State of Disaster to March 15”.
Their decision was made in terms of Section 27(5)(c) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (Act 57 of 2002).
Dlamini-Zuma added that the country, along with the rest of the world, is entering “a new phase of the pandemic” that requires us “to manage to live with the virus”.
“Lessons from other countries have taught us that the lifting of all restrictions may lead to an uptick in the number of infections. To this effect, we need to continue wearing our masks at all times when in public, observe a social distance, wash our hands regularly with soap or alcohol-based sanitiser and always ensure that we are in properly ventilated spaces,” she explained.
