This current wave of Covid 19 is causing sever staring on the national health system, seemingly far worse than the first phase of the last year.
The Eastern Cape Health Department is concerned with three of its districts in terms of the availability of beds at the hospitals in order to deal with the surge of Covid-19.
acting superintendent-general Sibongile Zungu says Alfred Nzo District, Buffalo City Metro and OR Tambo District are under pressure in general beds.
The Eastern Cape has availed 3 143 general beds and 637 critical beds with 1 732 admissions in their health facilities as at January 11.
In the Western Cape hospitals are still facing significant strain, and current data is still being affected by the festive season public holidays and a change in the province’s testing criteria.
According to Premier Alan Winde, there are early signs that the province has entered the peak of the second wave in the province with hospitalisations and mortality data reflecting the significant pressure currently experienced in the region.
In the rural areas, the province is starting to see case numbers stabilise although increases in the West Coast and in the Central Karoo are still being seen as they have experienced later surges.
Meanwhile Health authorities in KwaZulu-Natal are trying explain the dramatic decline in active coronavirus cases in the province, insisting that they are accurate.
According to official figures, between Monday and Tuesday this week, the number of active cases decreased by more than 27,000.
Officials say the dramatic decline in active coronavirus cases should be expected because thousands of people contracted the coronavirus at the same time during the festive season and therefore recovered at once or around the same time.