Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla confirmed talks are ongoing with the government to mitigate the potential onset of a COVID-19 fourth wave.
COVID-19 fourth wave could result in harsh lockdowns
Since the start of November, a period often filled with pre-festive season social activities, a spike in COVID-19 infections has been observed. According to daily data tracked by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the positivity rate increase, from 1.1% on Sunday 14 November 2021, to 3.4% a week later, is a key indicator of what could be termed a prelude to the fourth wave.
Phaahla, in an interview with eNCA, explained the health department’s position on the recent spike in infections. Essentially, as Phaahla indicated, all efforts will be made to avoid a severe lockdown in the near future. However, this is only possible if the spike in infections is contained to specific clusters.
“We would want to avoid severe lockdowns. We are studying developments everyday, but, we would want to do as much as it’s possible, in terms of social restrictions, to avoid super-spreading.
“But, without taking too much away from the liberties of people socially and economically,” he said.
Phaahla added that the department’s position in talks with the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC), the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) and President Cyril Ramaphosa will be to recommend dealing with spikes in clusters where they appear.
“Our advice from our epidemiologist is that this is an isolated clusters, which must just be contained, in terms of contact tracing, quarantine and isolation, and treat those who get sick. But, at this stage, we should not over-panic,” Phaahla noted.
Here are the latest COVID-19 infection statistics
From a total of 20 292 tests taken between Saturday and Sunday 21 November 2021, 687 positive cases were recorded. Moreover, two deaths relating to COVID-19 were reported, bringing total fatalities to 89 574.