The number of positive Covid-19 cases are increasing faster than anticipated says Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize.
Mkhize was speaking on SABC’s Morning Live on Monday, after the country reached over 1 million positive cases of Covid-19 on Sunday.
He said people had become lax during the festive season, contributing to the spread of the virus.
“We have moved from 10 000 to 14 000 in just a few days. People are meeting in crowded places, having parties, and forgetting their masks. These are things that worsen the situation,” said Mkhize.
“Right now, we are in the middle of the second wave. It is important for people to take this seriously. It started with the Eastern Cape then Western Cape, now KZN and Gauteng following suit. In many countries, this wave has been more severe than the first one,” he said.
While the situation in the Eastern Cape which contains two Covid-19 hotspots has stabilised, the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is cause for concern for residents of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
“Private hospitals have filled up before the public hospitals. The testing was delayed and the shortage of staff needed to be attended to. Changes were made, this assisted to ease the situation. The trends now in the Eastern Cape seem to be stabilising. We are however still monitoring the situation,” he said.
Mkhize also emphasised the need for wearing a mask, social distancing, washing hands and sanitising as a major issue that they need to focus on.
“Anyone who says Covid-19 is not a serious issue, are those who have not come into contact with someone who has had the virus,” he said.