Concerns are mounting in the Western Cape as health officials predict the province may soon greatly overtake Gauteng for number of confirmed cases.

COVID-19 cases in the Western Cape are on the rise as testing picks up in the province.

According to Premier Alan Winde the province can expect as many as 80 000 people to be infected by the virus at its peak.

Dr Keith Cloete, Head of the provincial Health Department says he expects the province to experience a spike in positive cases over the next few days, so much so, that it will greatly overtake Gauteng that has had the most number of reported cases since the virus first arrived in the country.

Contact tracing and active testing are two factors that will lead to a significant increase in numbers as medical authorities become aware of the real number of cases.

The number of deaths associated with the virus has also been on the increase in recent days and Cloete says there are no signs of fatalities slowing down anytime soon.

“We will probably be the number one province, in terms of deaths, very soon,” adds Cloete.

As the predictions for the province look grim in the light of the pandemic, residents are reminded that every bit of effort makes a different and simply doing your part could turn the tide on this grave situation.

Listen to the full interview with Cloete below:

Source: CapeTalk

Picture: Pexels

Shares: