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Close contact treatment providers such as salons and spas should heed government’s warning that daily Covid-19 infections have risen dramatically to over 6,000 and that it remains on high alert.
Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, said in a statement on 29 April that the next seven days would give an indication as to whether the 5th wave of the pandemic had started. He expressed concern at the daily rate of new infections.
“We need to remain on high alert. The rise in daily infections took a sharper uptick during the last week,” Phaahla said, adding that the trend needs to be observed. He also pointed out that government had noted the spike of cases in other parts of the world.
Nationally, there has been a 137% increase in new cases, compared to the seven days prior, with Gauteng, Western Cape and the Northern Cape showing the highest new daily infections.
“COVID-19 remains a threat and we cannot afford to drop our prevention measures. We urge those who have not vaccinated to come forward and take the jab.
“We are still under 50% of adults that have taken one dose of the vaccination. South Africa needs to get this to 60% of adults to protect us,” the minister said.
Phaahla urged young people who are between the ages of 18 – 35 to come forward in their numbers to protect themselves and the elderly people around them.
“Natural immunity wanes with time and cannot be boosted. It is only the vaccine immunity that can be boosted,” Phaahla commented. “And, as winter approaches, people will spend more time indoors, with a risk respiratory infections.”
As at 28 April, the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases was 3,780,444, with an 18.3% positivity rate. There had been an increase of 64 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours. (Source: SAnews.gov.za)