The Northern Cape Department of Health indicate that around half of the Province’s population have been screened for Covid-19.
WITH a population of just over 1.2 million people, figures supplied by the Northern Cape Department of Health indicate that around half of the Province’s population have been screened for Covid-19.
According to the latest figures, supplied on Wednesday by the department, a total of 604 733 people in the Province have been screened.
Less impressive, however, is the number of people who have been tested, with less than 2 000 people having been tested. This is 0.167% of the total population.
According to the department’s figures, between 100 and 150 tests are conducted each day, with the number increasing from 1 491 on Monday this week to 1 947 by yesterday.
Appeals have been made for the department to up its testing after at least five people, who were admitted to hospital for unrelated conditions, were tested recently and found to be positive.
The DA in the Northern Cape has previously raised concerns about the low number of tests done and the apparent lack of contact tracing.
“There are no new positive people in the past 24 hours in the Province,” the Northern Cape Department of Health said on Wednesday evening, after the latest figures were released by the national department.
According to these figures, the Province has 26 cases, 10 of which are in the Sol Plaatje Municipality and 10 in Phokwane (both of which are in the Frances Baard District). Dawid Kruiper Municipality (ZF Mgcawu District) has two positive cases, Hantam Municipality (Namaqua District) has three cases and Emthanjeni Municipality (Pixley ka Seme District) has one case.
Sixteen of the 26 positive cases have recovered, according to the department. These include 11 in the Frances Baard District, three in Namaqua, one in Pixley ka Seme and one in ZF Mgcawu.
There are still nine active cases in the Sol Plaatje Municipality and one in Dawid Kruiper.
A statement issued by the Northern Cape provincial government following this week’s weekly meeting of the Provincial Command Council, chaired by Premier Zamani Saul, to assess provincial governments’ response to the Covid-19 pandemic, also failed to provide any new information to the public.
“The meeting had at its core the roll-out of the Level 4 regulations and received reports from the various provincial and national departments present,” the statement said. “The Department of Health presented it’s response plan, aimed at ensuring that we curb the spread of the coronavirus in the Province.
“Provincial government remains committed to ensuring that we curb the spread of the virus; and this we are only able to do with the assistance of community members across the Province. Staying at home during Level 4 of the lockdown is still important as well as washing your hands for 20 seconds, sanitising and wearing a cloth mask when going out for essentials.”
