South Africa’s 30 new Covid-19 deaths on Thursday came from the Western Cape, data released by Health Minister Zweli Mkhize shows. It shows that 25 deaths came from the Western Cape, while the remaining 5 came from the Eastern Cape. In terms of confirmed cases, the two provinces accounted for 944 new infections out of the 1134 new cases confirmed – or over 83% of new cases.
Since Monday, there have been 77 Covid-19-related deaths between the two provinces, with the rest of the country’s seven provinces recording 31 deaths in the same period. Mkhize said over 525 000 tests had now been conducted since March, with over 18 500 tests being done in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde said on Thursday that a joint meeting between ministers from the national office, the Eastern Cape and his Western Cape government took place to underline solutions to the transportation of bodies between the two provinces during the pandemic.
369 – SA’s Covid death toll
235 – Death toll in the Western Cape alone
50 – Death toll in the Eastern Cape
108 SAns have died of Covid-19 since Monday
77 people died in the EC, WC alone, since Monday
77% of SA’s Covid-19 death toll comes from WC, EC#Day56ofLockdown pic.twitter.com/u0LPTKSDFp— Sihle Mlambo 🇿🇦✍🏿️ (@SihleSays) May 21, 2020
He said it had been resolved that four regulatory protocols should be drafted by the two premiers and submitted to the national government for processing. The meeting follows a discussion during the Presidential Coordinating Council where the two provinces reported that they were in talks trying to find protocols of cooperation,” Winde said. The protocols being developed by the two provinces will focus on:
Joint cooperation on agriculture to specifically manage the movement and employment conditions of seasonal workers between the two provinces. Management of funerals with a focus on the restricting movement of bodies of Covid-19-related deaths. Management of general travelling of people between the two provinces given the easing of restrictions and to manage travelling when schools and universities are opened.
In other news – Blow for South Africa as WHO declares the country does not qualify for Stage 3
Blow for South Africa as WHO declares the country does not qualify for Stage 3. Speaking during a briefing with health experts on Tuesday night Mkhize is reported to have said, “The WHO has said that we need to start showing that the numbers are declining, and infections are not increasing. We are nowhere near that.
South Africa does not meet the World Health Organisation (WHO standards to move from the current Level 4 to Level 3, the country’s Health Minister Zwelini Lawrence Mkhize has said. Read more
Source: IOL
