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Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, said the Garden Route District has passed its peak and was now on a sustained downward trajectory following a recent surge in Covid19 cases.
Speaking during his weekly Digital Conference on Tuesday, he said this district, which was the first to experience the major surge in cases associated with the new variant in this second wave, is experiencing a decline in both cases and hospitalisations.
However, Winde said the critical care capacity in the Garden Route still remains under pressure, and there was a week-on-week increase in deaths in this district.
"With the exception of the West Coast District, which remains on an upward trajectory (although slower) all rural districts are showing signs of stabilisation, and we are waiting to see whether the slower relay of data over public holidays is the reason for this and whether the pattern holds in the week ahead," the Premier said.
He said while sub-districts in the Cape Metro have not shown increases, Winde cautioned against drawing conclusions at this stage, given the change in testing criteria in the metro specifically.
"We will be closely watching the City of Cape over the next week to determine if the trend continues," he said.
Winde said the province has also made more beds available, secured additional oxygen supplies while the recruitment of health care workers continues.
