Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, has sounded a warning that the provincial healthcare system would be placed under enormous strain over the coming weeks.
Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, Winde said earlier this week every district within the Western Cape exceeded the number of Covid-19 infections experienced in the first wave, suggesting that the second wave of the virus will be significantly larger than the first.
He said while there were signs of slowing in the Garden Route, the Cape Town metro, and thereafter the other districts, are set to face unprecedented case numbers over the coming weeks.
“There are now clear indications that the second wave has been exacerbated by a new variant of Covid-19, called 501.V2, which has shown to be far more infectious than the initial strain which marked the first wave,” Winde said.
“To put it simply, over the next few weeks we expect to see our healthcare system placed under enormous strain, at a time when more beds will be needed than ever before.”
“It is also happening at a time when our nurses, our doctors, and our clinicians have already been working flat out, under very stressful circumstances, since March,” Winde said.
He said this confluence of factors meant it was now more important than ever that residents of the Western Cape step up to the plate to help contain the spread of the virus.
“We need to do this to protect our hospital capacity because if we continue as is, there is no guarantee of a hospital bed in either the public or private sector, for you or a loved one, if you require it,” the Premier said.
He said it also needed to be done for “our healthcare workers, because they are extremely tired, extremely strained, and need our help to get through the next few weeks.”
