The number of positive Covid-19 cases in the Northern Cape rose sharply over the weekend.
While there were 51 confirmed cases on Friday night, it stood at 57 on Saturday and rose to 69 by Sunday night.
These are 18 new cases recorded within 48 hours. This is the sharpest rise in the province since the outbreak of the virus.
According to the Northern Cape Department of Health, two of the 69 cases’ residential areas cannot be determined at this stage. The department believes they may be from another province.
Two new cases were recorded in the Sol Plaatjie municipality on Sunday. The first three cases in the Magareng Municipality and the first case in the Dikgatlong Municipality were recorded. That brings the total for the Frances Baard region to 37.
Two new cases were also recorded in the Pixley ka Seme region on Sunday. The first case in the Siyathemba municipality was also announced this weekend. There are 15 positive cases to date in this region.
In the David Kruiper municipality in the ZF Mgcawu region, one new case was recorded on Sunday, bringing the total positive case for the region to nine.
No new cases have been reported in the Namakwa region and the John Taolo Gatsewe region and only three cases have been reported to date in each of the regions.
The department says out of the 69 positive cases, about 31 people have already recovered and one has died. So there are 37 people who still have the coronavirus among members.
Mase Manopole, MEC for Health in the Northern Cape, said in a statement that the department received about 100,000 test sets.
“About 7,500 of the test kits have already been used,” the statement said.
In total, 1,178,221 people are already at roadblocks and medical centers through screening processes and through mass screening processes (from house to house in communities).
The department says they have determined and indicated that 2 076 hospital beds and 71 unit beds with ventilators in the province will be needed for the pandemic. There are currently 1,358 beds available.
This week, Manopole will visit the various regions where focal points have emerged to monitor the process of detecting people who have had contact with the positive cases.
