Steady decline in active cases
After two tough months, active COVID-19 infections in the Kouga region have been on a steady decline this past week.
Kouga Executive Mayor, Horatio Hendricks, said that the latest statistics from the Department of Health were encouraging, but he urged residents to remain on guard.
“We saw in 2020 how quickly a resurgence can occur. The coronavirus is still very much among us and if we do not adhere to the basic safety precautions, we could see another spike in the local numbers,” he said.
Active COVID-19 infections stood at 174 in the Kouga region at the beginning of this week, according to the latest report from the Department of Health, compared to 240 at the beginning of last week.
The 174 cases included 83 active infections in Jeffreys Bay, 38 in Humansdorp, 27 in St Francis, 12 in Patensie, 10 in Hankey, two in Loerie, one in Thornhill and zero in Oyster Bay. The cumulative total for Kouga stood at 5 130, including 4 866 recoveries and 90 deaths.
“The second wave hit us very hard, with 2 958 positive cases being recorded in November and December 2020,” Hendricks said.
This is more than double the 1 302 cases that were confirmed during the first wave in June and July. That is why it is critical that we remain vigilant.”
He thanked local healthcare workers, the municipality’s disaster management volunteers and other government and community stakeholders, for their tireless efforts over the festive season to minimise the spread of the pandemic.
“Each one of us has a role to play in keeping Kouga safe. We are very grateful for the manner in which all roleplayers have taken hands to steer us through these trying times,” he added.
Source: Kouga Express – Network24