WESTERN CAPE NEWS - According to a statement by premier Alan Winde earlier today, the Western Cape Department of Health have successfully delivered over 560 000 medicine parcels to patients.
The statement reads:
At the start of the pandemic, the Department of Health in the Western Cape introduced an innovative idea to deliver medicines to patients at home.
This would not only help protect vulnerable groups by ensuring that they could stay home, but it also played a role in de-congesting our healthcare facilities.
The deliveries to patients' homes are done by community healthcare workers in the area. Since the start of the project over 560 000 medicine parcels have been successfully delivered to patients across the province-ensuring that they can continue taking the necessary medications.
The medicines are delivered to stable, chronic, adult patients. The majority of patients receive medications for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, and hypertension, with some TB and HIV patients also receiving their treatment this way.
The community healthcare workers who deliver the parcels are also able to do COVID-19 and basic health screenings and refer people who may need further medical attention to the appropriate healthcare facility.
This is an innovation that contributes to the health and wellness of the people of this province and which the Department of Health intends to continue beyond COVID-19.
Update on the coronavirus
As of 13:00 on 4 September, the Western Cape has 3058 active cases of COVID-19, with a total of 105 697 confirmed cases and 98689 recoveries.
Garden Route district
- Bitou - 582 cases, 537 recoveries
- Knysna - 1380 cases, 1281 recoveries
- George - 3370 cases, 3101 recoveries
- Hessequa - 275 cases, 251 recoveries
- Kannaland - 111 cases, 106 recoveries
- Mossel Bay - 2182 cases, 2010 recoveries
- Oudtshoorn - 1228 cases, 962 recoveries
Data note: It is not always possible to check and verify that the address data supplied for each new recorded case is correct, within the time frames required to provide regular and timely updates. This means that in some instances, cases could be allocated to the wrong sub-districts. We are working with the sub-districts to clean and verify the data and where errors are picked up locally, cases will be re-allocated to the correct areas.
More data is available here.
The Western Cape has recorded an additional 9 deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 3950. We send our condolences to their family and friends at this time.
Travel safety
September is Tourism Month in South Africa, and the weekend is a good opportunity to support the Western Cape's attractions, restaurants and tourism businesses. Tourism is a major job creator in the province, and with many of these activities now allowed under alert level 2, I encourage those who are able to, to get out and support a local business.
This must however be done safely and these safety tips can help to keep you safe and businesses open.
- If you feel unwell, or if you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19- stay at home.
- Whether you're at home or out of town, the golden rules all still apply.
- Wear your mask whenever you are out in public, and if you are planning to overnight somewhere, or spend multiple days away, ensure that you have spare, clean masks or laundry detergent to wash them.
- If you're driving, make sure that you wash or sanitize your hands thoroughly before and after entering rest stops, shops or at petrol stations.
- If you are flying, minimize contact by checking in online and having your boarding pass sent to your smartphone. You will need to abide by all of the rules and screening procedures in place in airports and on flights, so give yourself enough time to do this.
- Wherever you are, whether you are queuing to enter an attraction or pay in a shop, or when choosing a table in a restaurant, ensure that there is a space of at least 1.5 metres between you and any other person.
- If you encounter a business which is not abiding by the rules, you can lodge a complaint here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-business-safety-complaint-form
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