WESTERN CAPE NEWS - The Western Cape has 8 371 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 98 656 confirmed cases and 86 861 recoveries as of 10 August.
An additional 32 deaths have been recorded in the Western Cape, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3 424. We send our condolences to their family and friends at this time.
Hospitalisations and the re-introduction of healthcare services:
Hospitalisations in the province have dropped below the 1 200 mark over the past few days- the lowest hospitalisation numbers recorded in the province since June.
This is a strong indicator that our efforts to slow the spread of the virus, and our medical interventions, such the use of field hospitals, high flow nasal oxygen and the use of steroids to treat serious cases of COVID-19, are starting to pay off.
As a Government, we have been following an evidence-based, data-led approach to our health response, and we have used worst-case scenario planning to ensure that we always have adequate provisions.
While our healthcare system has been under pressure throughout this time, we have always had capacity to provide healthcare to our residents.
Our latest data indicates that we have passed our ‘peak’ and that our metro hospitals are 69% full, down from 71% the week before (all patients).
We are also adding additional capacity in rural areas, with beds at Sonstraal Hospital and in municipalities such as George
This has allowed us to start to reintroduce certain clinical services, which will be phased in over a period of time. Interventions that have a low COVID-19 risk and which will have significant impact on health, such as immunisations, will be considered first.
Immunisation provides the most effective means for parents to protect their children from serious but preventable illnesses such as measles.
It is important that we ensure that these healthcare services are reintroduced to avoid future healthcare issues which may place further impact on our healthcare services.
While we are pleased at the progress we are making, it remains important that we continue to focus on COVID-19 prevention across the province. We note that some areas in the province continue to record increasing infection rates, especially in our rural areas. We also want to avoid a second wave in infections in the areas and hotspots where we are seeing declines.
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