New infections in Khayelitsha have shown a decline in recent weeks, reports Premier Alan Winde. The recovery rate in the area currently stands at over 90%.
In a statement, Winde said that the Thusong field hospital in Khayelitsha, operated by Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF), accepted its last new admissions on August 7. The organisation will now be extending its support to other provinces where cases are increasing and their services will have a greater impact.
The hospital opened on June 1 and has admitted 241 people over the past two months. It has worked closely with the Khayelitsha Hospital, providing an invaluable service to the people in the area.
The Khayelitsha hospital and the Brackengate temporary facility will still accept and care for patients as necessary.
Winde also announced that the Western Cape has 8174 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 97 966 confirmed cases and 86 415 recoveries.
There have been an additional 27 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3374. To date, 435 962 tests have been conducted and 1266 people have been admitted to hospital of which 277 are in ICU or high care.
Preventing the second wave:
The Western Cape has seen an overall decline in the number of hospitalisations in recent weeks and hospitals in the province are currently running at 69% capacity. Winde credits the field hospitals for playing an important role in providing the appropriate care for people in the province at the peak of infections.
The province will now re-introduce other key services in the healthcare system which were either put on hold or slowed down because of COVID-19.
Hotspot interventions continue in all hotspot areas to promote behaviour change. Winde urges residents to continue to take precautions and instill long term behaviour changes to continue the decline in the numbers of new infections and hospitalisations and save lives.
Alcohol sales:
The Western Cape cabinet has taken the position that domestic alcohol sales should be re-allowed in the province, and will be communicating this to the national government.
“As a province, we have all worked hard, together, to battle COVID-19 and we have made significant strides. If we all continue to take every effort to reduce the spread of this virus, we can not only protect the people of this province from COVID-19, but can begin to rebuild the economy and ensure that we are able to overcome the second pandemic of unemployment,” concludes Winde.
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