Netcare medical staff's holidays cut short, as COVID-19 pressure mounts
The Netcare Group has recalled all its frontline staff from leave to help deal with the rise in COVID-19 hospitalisations.
The private healthcare provider says the number of people currently admitted to hospital with the virus far exceeds what was experienced in the first wave of the pandemic.
In a statement, CEO Richard Friedland says they expect demand for beds to continue in KZN, Limpopo, and Western Cape for at least the next two weeks.
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He says Netcare has also had to ramp up its oxygen capacity at all its hospitals, as well as medical supplies and PPE to last them throughout the second wave.
But Friedland has warned should the demand exceed the capacity of hospitals, ventilators may not be available to all patients.
The coronavirus has claimed 497 more lives in the country.
According to the health ministry, 9580 new infections have also been reported in the last 24 hours.
KZN remains the province with the highest number of active cases with over fifty thousand, .followed by the Western Cape with over 39 000 and Gauteng with more than 23 000 active cases.
This week, South Africa surpassed the one million mark in its cumulative COVID-19 infections.
As part of government's effort to flatten the curve of this second wave of COVID-19, all beaches in the country, except the Northern Cape, are no-go zones for all activities, except fishing under certain conditions.
This was confirmed at a Coronavirus Command Council briefing yesterday.
The Cooperative Governance Minister says all activities at restricted beaches are banned, except for fishing under certain conditions.
In KZN, six of the districts in KZN have been declared coronavirus hotspots. These are eThekwini. Ilembe, Ugu, Harry Gwala, uMgungundlovu and King Cetshwayo.
