The COVID-19 crisis in South Africa : protecting the vulnerable

Abstract

As of 3 July 2020, global cases of COVID-19 surpassed 10 million with over half a million deaths in more than 210 countries. South Africa (SA) too reached a milestone last week, recording a total of 100 000 laboratory-confirmed cases and 2 500 deaths since March (as of 7 July 2020, total number of positive cases 215 855, total number of deaths 3 502). The epidemic’s epicentre in the Western Cape, where a major surge has resulted in record hospital bed occupancy rates, is quickly being surpassed by Gauteng in the number of new cases. Similar trends in case numbers are being reported in Eastern Cape Province, stretching valiant healthcare workers in all three provinces. The remaining provinces are likely to follow suit.