Health Minister Zweli Mkhize
Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP
Mkhize: One in 11 people tested in Western Cape found COVID-19 positive
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said that, on average, one out of every 31 people tested for COVID-19 in South Africa, is found to be positive.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize
Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, on Wednesday 27 May, released statistics which showed that one in every 11 people who test for COVID-19 in the Western Cape, is found to be positive.
In South Africa, on average, one out of every 31 people tested for the virus, is found to be positive.
HOW MANY TESTS TO FIND A COVID-19 CASE?
According to Mkhize, the more tests that need to be conducted per positive case found, the lower the infection rate in that province.
Here’s the provincial breakdown:
- One out of every 165 people tested for the virus in Limpopo, is found to be positive;
- One out of every 192 people tested for the virus in Mpumalanga, is found to be positive;
- One out of every 117 people tested for the virus in the North West, is found to be positive;
- One out of every 139 people tested for the virus in Free State, is found to be positive;
- One out of every 121 people tested for the virus in the Northern Cape, is found to be COVID-19 positive;
- One out of every 64 people tested for the virus in Gauteng, is found to be positive;
- One out of every 51 people tested for the virus in KwaZulu-Natal, is found to be positive;
- One out of every 24 people tested for the virus in the Eastern Cape, is found to be positive; and
- One out of every 11 people tested for the virus in the Western Cape, is found to be positive.
According to these statistics, the Western Cape obviously has the highest rate of infection. On Tuesday 26 May, Mkhize announced that the Western Cape had a total of 15 829 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 363 deaths and 7 844 recoveries were made in the province.
HERE’S WHAT HARD LOCKDOWN HAS ACHIEVED
Mkhize maintained that the hard lockdown has helped South Africa. He listed reasons as to how the hard lockdown has impacted our caseload and changed our overall trajectory.
Mkhize said the lockdown flattened the initial part of the COVID-19 infection curve and changed our country’s overall trajectory. He also said it stopped all our imported cases.
“More than 10 million people have been screened in communities, more than half a million people have been tested, more than 40 000 contacts have been traced,” he said.
“We have improved our health capacity by creating additional facilities, beds and staff numbers. There has been social and behavioural change in community engagements,” he added.
