GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - A batch of 2 000 Covid-19 vaccine doses is expected to arrive in the Garden Route within the next two weeks, with two-thirds intended for the public sector and a third for the private sector.

According to the district's disaster management chief Gerhard Otto, planning for the vaccination programme is ongoing. A prioritising process for phase 1 for health workers is underway as not enough vaccine doses are expected to be available. 

"George Hospital will be the first site where vaccinations will be done where access will be for multiple sub-districts."

There has been a further decrease in active Covid-19 cases per 100 000 of the population in the Garden Route during the past week. The figure now stands at 65 active cases per 100 000 compared with 78 one week ago.

In the past week, the district has recorded 152 new cases and as at 23 February there were 380 recorded active cases.

"A few new cases are being seen specifically for Thembalethu (in George) which will be monitored closely. There are no specific clusters at this point," said Otto.

In George, 64 new cases were recorded and the city now has 159 active cases (compared with 167 a week ago).

There were 10 deaths between 16 and 23 February compared with 14 in the previous week. 

"This is the lowest number we have seen for many weeks. The situation has greatly improved and some sub-districts are now considering escalating regular (health) services again. It will be done slowly and carefully and in the knowledge that if circumstances change again, it will be stopped again. We need to get used to stopping and starting with services and adapt to the situation presenting."

The district has 22 hospitalised Covid-19 patients in private and public hospitals, which is the lowest since early November last year.

GARDEN ROUTE CASES AS AT 23 FEBRUARY:
Total 32 916 cases (31 261 recoveries, 1 275 deaths)

• George 11 637 (11 061 recoveries, 417 deaths)
• Bitou 2 683 (2 569 recoveries, 106 deaths)
• Knysna 4 757 (4 5 78 recoveries, 159 deaths)
• Mossel Bay 7 223 (6 961 recoveries, 209 deaths)
• Hessequa 1 912 (1 783 recoveries, 99 deaths)
• Oudtshoorn 3 862 (3 524 recoveries, 246 deaths)
• Kannaland 842 (785 recoveries, 39 deaths)

WESTERN CAPE CASES AS AT 23 FEBRUARY
Total confirmed cases 274 191 (258 839 recoveries, 11 083 deaths)

NATIONAL CASES AS AT 23 FEBRUARY
Total confirmed cases 1 505 586 (1 419 459 recoveries, 49 413 deaths) 

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