GCIS EC
President Cyril Ramaphosa said that he was pleased with the progress that the Eastern Cape was making in putting systems and measures in place to deal with the coronavirus outbreak in the province.
He was in Nelson Mandela Bay on Thursday to get progress reports from the Provincial Government and to inspect the Livingstone Hospital, a designated treatment centre as well as Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium which has been prepared as a quarantine facility.
Premier Lubabalo Mabuyane presented an overview to the President, providing details of the provincial strategy, tracing and treatment programme and provision of Personal Protective Equipment.
The Eastern Cape has the third-largest infection rate in the country and as of Wednesday, that number stood at 1 534 confirmed case, with 31 deaths and 632 recoveries.
The Province had come under fire for its apparent lack of readiness, prompting the Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, to announce a range of interventions that included additional experts seconded to the Province, including the utilisation of Cuban doctors.
A senior health expert from Bhisho, Dr Litha Matiwane, was also seconded to Nelson Mandela Bay, an identified hotspot, to oversee the implementation of the Health Department’s programme to fight Covid19.
"From what I have heard you are making fantastic progress and I'm rather glad and in a way privileged to have this opportunity with Minister Mkize to come and be at the ringside of listening to the full outline of the initiatives that you have embarked upon," Ramaphosa said.
"I must say that I'm really impressed with the strategy that you have put in place and I can see that the Eastern Cape is really awake, you are alive and awake and are energised," the President said.
He said the Eastern Cape has "come to grips" with the task that is at hand and has a clear strategy to deal with Covid19 and "I'm sure that we are going to start seeing the levelling of the infections".
In a wide-ranging speech, President Ramaphosa he reiterated that the country's health workers at the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus must have all the protection that they need.
Premier Mabuyane, in his presentation, said that 1 700 inmates could be released from overcrowded prisons in the Eastern Cape in terms of the interventions announced recently by the government.
He noted that East London Correctional Centre had high rates infection with 181 positive cases amongst inmates and 52 officials.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape Health Director-General, Dr Thobile Mbengashe, has revealed that their projections are that June, July and August will be the peak months for infections and where the Province has to ramp and make sure that all protective measures are in place.
