As of today [June 18], The Western Cape has a total of 12 722 active cases of COVID-19, with 46 951 confirmed cases overall and 32953 recoveries.
The Western Cape has recorded an additional 71 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 1276.
Total confirmed COVID-19 cases 46951
Total recoveries 32953
Total deaths 1276
Total active cases (currently infected patients) 12722
Tests conducted 256733
Hospitalisations 1470 with 248 in ICU or high care
Sub-districts Cape Town Metro:
Western 4325 cases; 3149 recoveries
Southern 4329 cases; 3113 recoveries
Northern 3092 cases; 2217 recoveries
Tygerberg 6607 cases; 4962 recoveries
Eastern 4226 cases; 3030 recoveries
Klipfontein 4980 cases; 3597 recoveries
Mitchells Plain 4196 cases; 3097 recoveries
Khayelitsha 5501 cases;4413 recoveries
Total 37256 cases; 27578 recoveries
Sub-districts:
Garden Route Bitou 22 cases; 17 recoveries
Garden Route Knysna 96 cases; 67 recoveries
Garden Route George 212 cases; 110 recoveries
Garden Route Hessequa 18 cases; 15 recoveries
Garden Route Kannaland 3 cases; 2 recoveries
Garden Route Mossel Bay 79 cases; 36 recoveries
Garden Route Oudsthoorn 28 cases; 13 recoveries
Cape Winelands Stellenbosch 683 cases; 433 recoveries
Cape Winelands Drakenstein 1913 cases; 1178 recoveries
Cape Winelands Breede Valley 920 cases; 531 recoveries
Cape Winelands Langeberg 194 cases; 76 recoveries
Cape Winelands Witzenberg 470 cases; 339 recoveries
Overberg Overstrand 311 cases; 155 recoveries
Overberg Cape Agulhas 31 cases;22 recoveries
Overberg Swellendam 24 cases;15 recoveries
Overberg Theewaterskloof 237 cases; 140 recoveries
West Coast Bergrivier 158 cases; 94 recoveries
West Coast Cederberg 18 cases; 6 recoveries
West Coast Matzikama 28 cases;6 recoveries
West Coast Saldanha Bay Municipality 359 cases; 182 recoveries
West Coast Swartland 363 cases; 183 recoveries
Central Karoo Beaufort West 2 cases; 2 recoveries
Unallocated: 3526 (1753 recoverd)
More data is available here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard
Comorbidities:
“During our weekly digicon today, public health specialist with the Department of Health, Professor Mary-Ann Davies presented her findings on how COVID-19 impacts people living with HIV, TB and other comorbidities. These findings are important because while we have good data coming from other countries around comorbidities, there was little data around whether HIV and TB presented increased risk. The findings have revealed that while these two comorbidites do present slightly increased risk, the impact is small compared to the risks associated with old age and other illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure,” said Western Cape Premier Alan Winde.
Mary-Ann Davies was able to determine a number of findings, using data available in the public sector for comorbidities, including that for every 100 COVID-19 deaths in the public sector:
-52 deaths can be attributed to diabetes
-19 can be attributed to high blood pressure
-12 can be attributed to HIV
-9 can be attributed to kidney disease
-6 can be attributed to TB (2 to current TB and 4 to previous TB).
Testing backlog:
The Western Cape Department of Health was notified today that all samples currently being processed at the National Health Laboratory Services labs in the Western Cape have been received in the past 48 hours. This means that the backlog in testing, which reached up to 27 000 tests at its worst, has now been completely cleared. The situation will be continuously tracked to determine whether the NHLS can continue to process tests without developing backlog before a decision is made on the current risk adjusted testing strategy which focuses on providing testing to residents which need it most- including healthcare workers, those already in hospital, those over the age of 55, people in old aged homes and people with comorbidities which would put them at additional risk.
“We thank the NHLS for their hard work to resolve the backlog and President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister Zweli Mkhize for intervening when the Western Cape raised their concerns about the backlogs,” adds Winde.
Testing and triage update:
A total of 19 temporary testing and triage centres have been completed at hospitals across the province. Of these, 14 have been built in the metro and five have been completed in non-metro regions.
“We are currently working to bring an additional 14 online in the metro by 1 July, and an additional 26 in our non-metro regions by the middle to end of July,” said Winde.
“These testing and triage centres are an important part of our healthcare readiness response as they allow for testing to be conducted separately from other hospital functions, and also ensure that our emergency units are not overwhelmed by requests for testing.”
Hospital admissions:
Pressure has been building in the province’s acute hospital facilities, however, these hospitals are not yet at full capacity and still have some spare capacity to admit COVID-19 patients.
“Our critical care wards at Groote Schuur and at Tygerberg are currently running at near capacity, however, two exciting medical breakthroughs may help to relieve some of this pressure. The high flow nasal oxygen which we are bringing online is starting to make a difference at both Groote Schuur and at Tygerberg, as it presents an alternative therapy to people being treated on ventilators,” said Winde.
Clinical protocols are underway in the province to prepare for dexamethasone administration to patients on ventilators and oxygen therapy. Preliminary results coming out of the UK have shown really positive results in reducing mortality in serious cases of COVID-19.
Picture: Unsplash
