Updated Thursday July 8, 2020 | 11:10AM
Gauteng has surpassed Western Cape (WC) as its cases for coronavirus swell.
The most populous region and economic heartbeat of South Africa became the epicenter of the pandemic on Wednesday July 8.
Just yesterday, the daily confirmed Covid-19 infections were 8, 810 which took the national tally to 224, 665. The total number of dead people rose to 3, 602. At the same time, patients who have recuperated add up to 106 842.
Remarkably, Gauteng at 75, 015 reported cases has overtaken the WC on 73, 292. So far, the Western Cape still leads with 2, 192 of those who succumbed to the ominous virus while Gauteng recorded 478 deaths.
In terms of surviving the epidemic, WC has a high number of recoveries at 53, 881 compared to Gauteng’s 19, 779.
Statistics (Stats SA) South Africa’s 2020 mid-year population report indicates that the Western Cape accounts for 11,75% (just over 7 million) total number of citizens.
Leaders afflicted
The Premier of the Western Cape Alen Winde revealed that his results for Covid-19 came out positive on Wednesday.
On the same day, Prof. Job Mokgoro, the North West (NW) Premier, was scurried to a hospital in Johannesburg after coronavirus complications as widely reported. His received his results on Tuesday the 7th. His colleague, Saliva Molapisi, MEC for Public Works, is in isolation after testing positive.
Staying put in the same province, on Monday the 6th another MEC (Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs), Mothibi Gordon Kegakilwe did not survive the brutal affliction. His passing away triggered a series of tests in the NW Executive.
To the easterly frontier of the country, the government of KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Ricardo Mthembu lost the battle to Covid-19 complications on Wednesday the 8th.
These increasing coronavirus statistics have set alight raging debates around mass graves in the Republic.
Home to approximately 15,5 million people (26,0%) according to the Stats SA’s latest projections, Gauteng has embarked on a panic search for mass burial locations. Compounding its situation is that it is the smallest province by land area.
Talking to the media [eNCA, Newzroom Afrika] on Wednesday, Dr. Bandile Masuku, Gauteng MEC for Health, said:
“We are preparing over 1,5 million grave sites. And it’s an uncomfortable discussion… but it’s a reality that we need to deal with and we need to be prepared.”
However, on Thursday the Gauteng Health Department spokesperson Kwara Kekana clarified Dr. Masuku’s remarks and said:
Gauteng did not dig 1,5 million graves. Instead, its municipalities have a collective capacity of 1,5 million graves as Gauteng braces itself for an anticipated spike in deaths.
Furthermore, the Department of Health announced that six (6) officials of its Coronavirus “Warroom”, including the HOD (Head of Department) Mkhululi Lukhele, have tested positive.
Treacherous path ahead
SA has recorded a higher number of coronavirus cases in Africa. The ballooning infections are largely attributed to the resumption of a broad array of socio-economic activities. On top of that, testing has been scaled up across the length and breadth of the country of 59,62 million people as per Stats SA’s 2020 mid-year population estimates. The wintery chill aggravate matters.
The United States leads the world in the number of total cases reported. The New York Times stated that:
“More than 3,071,600 people in the United States have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 132,200 have died“.
The global count is over 12, 062, 863 cases and 550, 135 deaths as published by Johns Hopkins.
Without a cure in sight and vaccine ever elusive though trials in full steam, the viral plague is still very much a threat and devastatingly stinging.