The Thusong Multipurpose Center in Khayelitsha which will serve as a Covid-19 site in Cape Town. (File, Brenton Geach, Gallo Images
- Another 53 people have died of the coronavirus in the Western Cape as the premier calls for responsible alcohol use so beds are not taken up by alcohol-related trauma cases.
- Alan Winde said there was no indication alcohol would be banned again, given a spike in emergency cases at hospitals due to alcohol-related traumas since it went back on sale on 1 June.
- However, the spike in trauma admissions to hospitals is of concern to the premier.
With another 53 people dead from the coronavirus, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde warned the recent back-to-booze spike in trauma cases could be taking beds away from people who need treatment for the virus.
“Your grandmother, brother or sister could become ill with Covid-19 and require a hospital bed. Every single one of us has a role to play in making sure our healthcare system has the capacity to respond – please drink responsibly and play your part,” said Winde.
“If this doesn’t happen, we will have no choice but to explore alternative steps to ensure that this happens.”
The province has, as of 13:00 on 9 June, 12 250 active Covid-19 cases, with 33 892 confirmed cases, and 20 791 recoveries.
Of those, 1 156 people are in hospital and 220 in intensive care units or high care.
In the province, 851 people had died of the virus.
On Monday, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said there were 50 879 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country and that on Monday, the Western Cape recorded 33 568 – 66% of all national cases.
The number of tests conducted in the Western Cape was 211 177. The national health department said on Monday 943 059 tests had been conducted cumulatively.
*Note: Due to different reporting times, provincial statistics will differ from national statistics by a few cases on a given day.
