Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize on Tuesday said he wanted the Western Cape to be used as an example in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
The minister was speaking in the province, the epicentre of the country’s COVID-19 outbreak, where he was assessing its response.
“We must unite, use our protocols, and turn the situation around. I’m quite definite that we will be able to do so. And I want us to make sure the Western Cape is an example – where the numbers were kind of looking like they were getting out of control – but we were able to rein them in,” Mkhize said.
Mkhize toured a hospital in Ceres in the Witzenburg Municipality, which was hard hit by the coronavirus. Cluster outbreaks in farming communities had driven the epidemic in this area, according to the minister.
“This area is responsible for 45% of the agricultural export of the country. The biggest challenge is that there was no lockdown in this area because most of the workers are essential service. Therefore, the response had to be proactive,” he said.
Mkhize said the country needed to focus on the task at hand.
“We are not going to be discouraged by increasing numbers and feel defeated simply because we have lost some lives. We must move on and unite,” he said.
For official information about COVID-19 from the Department of Health, please click here.