Level 1 too much fun? Western Cape hits record high of trauma cases

We all knew this was coming, almost all alcohol restrictions get relaxed under Lockdown Level 1. And then the end of the month festivities hit. What does that lead to? A huge spike in trauma cases. That spike has been so high in the Western Cape, that the province has hit its record number of trauma cases for the year so far.

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Lockdown Level 1 leads to record Western Cape trauma cases

News24 spoke to Western Cape Department of Health head, Dr Keith Cloete, who revealed that the province recorded 621 trauma cases last Sunday.

“The recent shift to Level 1, with the lifting of all alcohol restrictions, has resulted in the highest single day of trauma cases of the entire year. We are monitoring the impact of alcohol and trauma in all emergency centres. In the province, the premier and provincial cabinet have adopted a very progressive recovery strategy, one area of which looks at safety.”

Cloete told News24.

The data is from the Western Cape’s Health and Emergency Centre Tracking Information System (Hectis). The system keeps an eye on 17 emergency centers in the province. While a big spike in trauma cases is relatively standard on the last weekend of the month. That weekend coupled with a move to regular booze level 1, took the spike to new levels.

Trauma heading in to December and a possible 4th wave

With just under 25% of the country’s adults now fully vaccinated, and December edging closer, people are getting hungrier and hungrier to let their hair down. Without vaccines, those same desires last year saw the country have a mooted New Years’ Eve. No restaurants or bars open and no alcohol on sale.

We’re clearly going to be well short of the target to have 70% of adults jabbed before the end of the year. And with our 4th wave predicted to hit around the same period, the Western Cape trauma record is more than likely to be topped again.