As of 5pm today, April 27, the Western Cape has recorded 1 778 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection, with 607 recoveries according to a statement by premier Alan Winde.
The total number of deaths is 35 and the total active cases (currently infected patients) is 1 136. The number of patients in hospital is 83 with 28 in ICU. The total number of tests conducted to date is 28 704.
The cases are as follows:
Sub-districts Cape Town Metro:
Western: 389
Southern: 209
Northern: 85
Tygerberg: 187
Eastern: 174
Klipfontein: 133
Mitchells Plain: 126
Khayelitsha: 205
Total: 1 508
Sub-districts Non-Metro:
Garden Route Bitou: 5
Garden Route Knysna: 15
Garden Route George: 14
Garden Route Hessequa: 5
Garden Route Mossel Bay: 19
Garden Route Oudtshoorn: 3
Cape Winelands Stellenbosch: 19
Cape Winelands Drakenstein: 13
Cape Winelands Breede Valley: 20
Cape Winelands Langeberg: 3
Cape Winelands Witzenberg: 100
Overberg Overstrand: 11
Overberg Theewaterskloof: 1
West Coast Saldanha Bay Municipality: 3
West Coast Swartland: 9
Unallocated: 30
The total number of deaths in the province is still 35.
The Western Cape has switched to an automated reporting of recoveries, which does not depend on the manual recording of each patient’s recovery. The Western Cape has recorded 607 recoveries. “Most residents who are infected by Covid-19 will recover, and we should remember to be kind, caring and compassionate to those who are ill,” Winde added.
“We must also remember that while most people do recover, those with comorbidities, as well as those of an older age, might face very serious complications. Each one of us has an important role to play to help protect these vulnerable groups and to save lives.”
The Western Cape has identified clusters or “hotspots” and has acted swiftly to screen and test around these hotspots, which has resulted in a higher proportion of positive tests. This is done in line with government’s “active case finding” approach.
“This has allowed us to focus on the contacts associated with these cases and to ensure that every person who is infected with Covid-19 is contacted, and advised to isolate or quarantine. This is a critical part of our health department’s response, and essential for containing the virus,” Winde said.
“One of the areas where we are taking this active case finding approach is in Witzenberg- where we have a total of 100 cases today. We have been concentrating our screening and contact tracing efforts in this area since the first cluster of cases emerged to make sure that we identify every single person identified with Covid-19.”
“Every resident of Witzenberg has an important role to play in helping us stop the spread. It is essential that you stay home. When you do leave the house to buy essential goods, you must keep your distance from all other people. Remember to stand 1.5 metres away from others and avoid going into any space where people have gathered. You should also always wear a cloth mask, and you must follow the 5 golden rules of hygiene at all times.”
Witzenberg is a rural area with a large community of seasonal farm workers. “While we understand that many may be making plans to return home at this time of year, we urge them not to. At this time, it is best that they stay in the Western Cape and avoid traveling to other provinces,” added Winde.
Picture: Pexels