GARDEN ROUTE DISTRICT NEWS - The Garden Route has recorded 175 Covid-19 related deaths.

As of 7 August 2020, the Garden Route District has 7090 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

Cases 
Garden Route cases and recoveries per subdistrict.

• Bitou 475 cases; 353 recoveries
• Knysna 1140 cases; 854 recoveries
• George 2869 cases; 2248 recoveries
• Hessequa 207 cases; 168 recoveries
• Kannaland 61 cases; 47 recoveries
• Mossel Bay 1652 cases; 1181 recoveries
• Oudsthoorn 686 cases; 378 recoveries

The Garden Route has recorded 175 Covid-19 deaths.

Hospitalisations
From our latest available information, there are currently 153 patients admitted in public and private hospitals of which 47 are in High Care/ICU.

Community Testing and Screening
The approach to active Covid-19 case finding within the rural areas remain that of community testing and screening with a focus on people > 55 years and those with high risk (people with co-morbidities). To date 145 052 people have been screened of whom 1274 have been referred for testing.

Isolation and quarantine
People who cannot isolate or quarantine safely at home (risk to themselves or exposure risk to others), can be referred to an isolation or quarantine facility.

Isolation facilities are for patients who have been infected with the COVID-19 virus (with mild to moderate symptoms) where they can recover. Quarantine facilities are for those have been exposed and are awaiting test results. These facilities are safe, have been made as comfortable as possible and you will receive free transport, meals, and a laundry service.

PetroSA (West Camp) is currently the only activated isolation and quarantine facility in the Garden Route. More facilities have been identified and will be activated, if and when the need arises or capacity is exceeded at PetroSA. We currently have 63 people at the West Camp facility.

Primary healthcare  
Our Primary Health Care platform is an important vehicle to support our health system, provide health services closer to the communities and prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed with services that can be provided outside of acute hospital settings. Although we advise patients to only visit their nearest clinic for essential services at this time; we remind parents and caregivers that services such as immunisations are still rendered. It is important to attend all your confirmed appointments. Services such as women’s health (family planning, antenatal and post-natal care), child health(immunisations) and TB, are still rendered. Stable chronic care patients must collect their chronic medicine at the chronic off-sites. Should you require guidance or advice around your current treatment or scheduled appointment, please contact your clinic/hospital.

Shielding the  vulnerable
Persons over the age of 55 or have a chronic condition are at risk for severe COVID-19 illness and should take extra precautions to protect themselves by following these steps:

1. Avoid getting the virus by staying home, wear a mask (when you have to go out), wash hands regularly and disinfect surfaces
2. Look after your health by following a healthy lifestyle and take your medication regularly
3. Get help immediately if you do not feel well
4. If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, go for immediate screening and testing if required, do not delay

The Department has implemented an action plan for Diabetics (regarded as a high risk group) with COVID symptoms which includes expanding testing for diabetics and closer monitoring.

Next 100 days          
The Department has identified the next 100 days as crucial to refocusing the health system and health services while still managing the pandemic with continued interventions to increase immunisation coverage, TB treatment and ART for HIV uptake.

We urge all citizens to remain careful in observing the essential 5 Golden Rules of hygiene and safety. It remains important to take particular care of vulnerable and high risk persons with underlying conditions as they are at significantly increased risk of severe COVID-19. We urge vulnerable and most at risk people to really take special care and to shield themselves from exposure where possible.  Make sure you wear your mask when going out to protect yourself and others.

The protection and wellbeing of all our people remains in our collective hands.

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