Media release by Premier Winde at his weekly digital press conference

“We urge our excellent scientists to provide clarity, as soon as possible, on the many unknowns regarding the newly identified variant”

We note with concern that a new variant, B.1.1.529, has been identified by scientists in South Africa. What is clear from the announcement made yesterday afternoon by our world-class scientists is that there are a number of unknowns regarding how this new variant will impact the pandemic in our province, our country and indeed, around the world.

This uncertainty is creating panic and unfortunately resulting in many countries taking precautionary, temporary steps by banning travel to South Africa and our region. This is a blow to our economy and will be felt most in our province, as our tourism and hospitality sector is highly reliant on international travellers over this peak season to sustain itself and create jobs.

That is why I urge our scientific community to act with urgency to provide this clarity so that this uncertainty can be removed and so that we can, through clear data and evidence, engage with the public and the international community with all factors being known. I know that they are working around the clock on this already and I thank them for this.

For our residents, my main message to you is to not panic but to increase your vigilance during this time. If you have not yet been vaccinated, now is the time to do it, especially if you are 50 years and older or have comorbidities. We know that the virus spreads through the air, and so also be mindful of your airspace, by ensuring good ventilation, being outdoors more, and wearing a mask.

For our part, the Western Cape Government continues to be guided by evidence and data, and in doing so, we are already fully preparing for a fourth wave to ensure that our healthcare capacity continues to be able to cope as it has done over the last 19 months. But we need your help: by being vaccinated, by wearing your mask, and by ensuring good ventilation.

We will also continue to engage with our international counterparts to ensure that we protect our job-creating tourism and hospitality sector, and to ensure that their decisions are based on the best possible data and science.

As we have done throughout this pandemic, we will continue to keep you updated and we will push for all the necessary data and information to be shared both domestically and internationally so that sound decisions are made and so that we get the balance right in saving both lives and livelihoods in the Western Cape.

“Case numbers remain low amid inter-wave period. Please play your part in stopping the spread ahead of COVID-19”

The Provincial Department of Health has continued to monitor the number of COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions and deaths in the province, and found that figures remain low – although there have been slight increases. We must continue to be vigilant and practice the lifesaving behaviours we have learned throughout the pandemic to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Our healthcare platform shows us that across the province:

• The reproduction or “R” number is now above 1. This indicates that case numbers are increasing, although we are seeing very small increases in the number of daily new cases with around 44 new diagnoses per day.
• The proportion of positive COVID-19 tests has increased to 3.4%.
• Admissions and deaths continue to decrease and are low.

Insofar as our healthcare platform is concerned:

• The Metro hospitals have an average bed occupancy rate of 90%; George drainage area hospitals at 66%; Paarl drainage area hospitals at 72% and Worcester drainage area hospitals at 78%. The critical care bed occupancy rate for designated COVID-19 beds for the province is at 13%.
• COVID-19 and persons under investigation cases currently make up 3% of all available acute general hospital capacity in both Metro and Rural Regional Hospital drainage areas.
• COVID-19 inter-mediate care: the Brackengate Hospital of Hope currently has 5 patients with a bed occupancy rate of less than 2%, Sonstraal and Freesia & Ward 99 both currently have no patients.

While the Mitchells Plain Hospital of Hope and the Metro mass fatality centre have both been closed, these and other additional capacity can be brought online again, if and when this is necessary.

“The Western Cape is prepared for a fourth wave and has established a 6-point resurgence plan and will monitor for a fourth wave closely”

In an anticipation of a fourth wave, we have refined and created a resurgence plan with multiple actions in response to predefined triggers. This will help us to ensure that we have enough beds, staff, and oxygen to respond to another wave and is based on lessons learnt from previous waves.

While we are not yet in a fourth wave, we will continue to monitor the week-on-week percentage change based on a 7-day moving average of new cases. We can see that case numbers have increased for the first time since the end of the third wave, but absolute numbers of cases are very low. This means that resurgence thresholds have not been reached yet, and we will continue to monitor this closely.

The Western Cape’s 6-point resurgence plan aims to ensure:

1. Sustainable and affordable interventions based on current evidence.
2. Shift to indicators of health service pressure. This requires easy and reliable
   indicators of health service pressure – as we have prepared.
3. Vaccination coverage remains the key intervention to mitigate the impact of the fourth wave on the health system. We will continue in our efforts to increase uptake.
4. Surveillance to guide the healthcare platform titration with the ability to respond quickly.
5. De-escalation, which hampers the provision of comprehensive services. We need to prevent a negative impact on chronic disease care – ensuring that people with illnesses like TB, HIV/AIDs and Diabetes continue to get the treatment they need.
6. Vaccinations to safeguard healthcare workers’ wellbeing. This is critical to their healing and mental health following the impact of prior waves.

“We need to ensure that as many people as possible get vaccinated to prevent severe illness and death in coming waves”

At this stage, we have every reason to believe the vaccine remains highly effective against severe illness and death. Getting vaccinated is therefore our best weapon against ending up in a hospital and dying.

By 22 November, 58.3% of the total population who are 50 years and older across the province had been vaccinated. At the Metro and district level:

• 7% of those 50+ in the Metro are fully vaccinated.
• 7% of those 50+ in the Cape Winelands are fully vaccinated.
• 6% of those 50+ on the West Coast are fully vaccinated.
• 3% of those 50+ in the Overberg are fully vaccinated.
• 8% of those 50+ in the Garden Route are fully vaccinated.
• 1% of those 50+ in the Central Karoo are fully vaccinated.

We have so far fully vaccinated 42.1% of our total adult population in the Western Cape, compared to 35.37% nationally by the same date; with a total of 2 446 399 people or 49% of the adult population in the Western Cape has received at least one vaccine. (Data as of 25 November)

In the last 24 hours alone, we have administered a total of 17 976 vaccines and over 4 million vaccines since the start of our vaccine programme.

Should you not have already done so, I encourage you to get vaccinated. Doing so will protect yourself and those around you from severe illness and death – particularly those at higher risk of severe illness and death. Vaccinations are quick and easy and will likely take no longer than 30 minutes at any given vaccination site.

“Booster shots are now available to healthcare workers. Please ensure that you get your booster if you are eligible.”

As a part of the Provincial Department of Health’s aim to protect the wellbeing of its employees, it has been rolling out vaccines to its staff through the Sisonke Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine programme.

The same employees who participated initially are now eligible for their booster dose of J&J through the Sisonke 2 programme and we strongly encourage you to do so, to keep yourself safe and protect those around you.

The booster programme began on 10 November 2021 at selected vaccination sites. By 25 November 2021, 38 485 healthcare workers in the Western Cape had received a J&J booster dose.

I want to make it clear that healthcare workers will be required to provide informed consent indicating that they agree to participate in this phase of the study and get vaccinated.

“Let’s remain calm and take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19”

This is not the time to panic, it is the time for us to play our part in stopping the spread. We have already managed three waves, and we know very well how to prevent infection.

Let’s continue to:

• Get vaccinated. We especially encourage those who are at higher risk to ensure that they get vaccinated as soon as possible.
• Wear your mask correctly covering both your mouth and nose, especially if you are indoors. Make sure to dispose of or clean used masks immediately.
• Maintain a safe social distance of at least 1.5 metres from others, particularly at schools, shopping malls, gatherings, and when travelling or using public transport.
• Ensure that you have access to good ventilation. You can do so by avoiding confined spaces, going outdoors where possible, having engagements for shorter durations, and keeping your windows and doors open – where possible.
• Stay home if you are sick and ensure that you self-quarantine if you have been in contact with someone who has tested positively for COVID-19.
• Wash and sanitise your hands regularly.

Source: Government of South Africa