Ramaphosa warns Eastern Cape could trigger spike in nationwide infections
President Cyril Ramaphosa has raised concerns about the spike in Covid-19 infections in the Eastern Cape, warning that it might trigger a domino-effect for the rest of the country.
Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Wednesday evening on government’s effort to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.
The country now sits at 740 254 cumulative cases, with a 92% recovery rate, and more than 20 000 Covid-19 fatalities.
The Eastern Cape’s numbers have dramatically increased over the past few weeks.
In the past week alone, the number of new cases in the province was 50% higher than the week before.
“For the last month, there has been a sustained upward increase in hospital admissions in the province. The evidence suggests that the increases in the Eastern Cape could have been triggered by outbreaks in institutions of higher learning such as universities, schools and attendance by people at large gatherings,” Ramaphosa said.
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He said interprovincial travel could lead to a resurgence of cases across the country.
“With many people moving between the Eastern Cape and other provinces, particularly the Western Cape, it is a matter of time before this surge spreads to other parts of the country. We therefore need to take measures to contain the rise in infections.”
He further warned stricter regulations could still be implemented.
“We are seeing how quickly and how dramatically infections can rise in a number of countries. We are also seeing how health systems can become overwhelmed in the face of rising infections. The rise in infections in some of these countries has led to the reimposition of tough restrictions. We have also seen in other countries how a resurgence can dash hopes for a swift economic recovery,” he said.
“We must do everything we can to prevent this from happening in our country.”
The various provinces are expected to implement a resurgence plan to mitigate the possibility of a second wave of infections.
