By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says that South Africa is beginning to see the benefits of its latest level 3 lockdown and its ability to manage a second surge in Covid-19 cases.
In a media briefing earlier, Mkhize said that the first ‘green shoots’ are appearing and that the country appears to be nearing an ‘inflection point’ and plateau in Covid-19 cases.
However, he cautioned against complacency and warned that a resurgence could happen at any point.
The Health minister said that he was specifically concerned about holidaymakers travelling back to Gauteng from coastal provinces which could cause a spike in cases.
We are hoping that what we are seeing now is an indications that (cases) will start declining and we need to see next week whether there is any new impact from people coming back from the festive season.
“This is what we thought the real pressure could come from, but the adjusted level 3 restrictions have actually assisted a lot.”
He urged South Africans to continue the wearing of masks, practicing social distancing, and using sanitisers. “We believe that if we continue, we will actually see the plateauing of infections.”
Mkhize also warned against overcrowding at funerals which have proven to be super-spreader events. “We still get reports of funerals attended by a large number of people, “he said.
This resurgence has happened much faster than we anticipated. We need to know that how we behave determines the way Covid-19 is going to spread. We may be seeing a reduction in the numbers in the next few weeks, but we need to continue wearing masks
“Our focus now is, whilst we want to make sure there is good management at hospitals, we need to begin to create an awareness that there is going to be a very important need to embrace the vaccines.”
Meanwhile President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged that the first two weeks of 2021 have been difficult for all South Africans, but says he is confident that the country is better prepared for the pandemic and possible future surges.
Writing in his weekly letter to the country, Ramaphosa said that the coronavirus pandemic has worsened, with new infections increasing far quicker than before. Hospitals, as a result, have come under severe strain as more people have needed medical attention.
“While most economic sectors have been able to operate again for several months, it will take some time for the economy to recover and for lost jobs to be restored, “he said.
As the new year starts, many families are still feeling the effects of the pandemic on their lives and livelihoods.”
For South Africa, as for most countries around the world, the year 2021 will be extremely challenging, Ramaphosa said.
“The second wave of Covid-19 infections may well be followed by further waves, which will threaten both the health of our people and the recovery of our economy. Difficult as this year will be, I am certain that we will overcome the pandemic and set our country firmly on the path to recovery.”
Ramaphosa said that his confidence comes from the South African people and how they have responded to the pandemic.
As of 17 January, South Africa reported 12,267 new Covid-19 cases, taking the total confirmed cases to 1,337,926.
Deaths have reached 37,105, a daily increase of 254, while recoveries have climbed to 1,098,441, leaving a balance of 202,380 active cases.