Covid-19 infections were dipping but are up again to a plateau, says health minister

After a clear and steady decline in Covid-19 infections in the country, “the past 14 days have given a more confusing picture”.

This is according to health minister Joe Phaahla, who said on Friday morning: “We are seeing a less resilient decline in infections. We can call it a stalemate. There is no serious decline and no worrying rise.”

The change from a decline to a plateau is likely linked to the opening of schools, and human movement at the tail end of the holidays.

Testimony to the link with schools opening is a clear rise in infections among those under age 20.

Phaahla said the country has always striven to flatten the curve of a wave, but in this fourth wave, SA is seeing a protracted plateau.

The percentage rise of new cases over the past seven days is at 0.3%, and Free State, Gauteng and Mpumalanga have increases of 20%, 17% and 12% respectively.

Limpopo has the highest positivity rate, averaging at 20%.

Phaahla said: “Our epidemiologists believe this plateau and slowing down can be linked to the opening of schools. In the past two weeks, we have witnessed more infections in those below age 20 and general practitioners have reported similar observations.

“We have reason to be optimistic that as people settle down in their areas of residence after the holidays, and schools settle down, there will be stability and more reductions in rate of infections.”

In hospitals, only 4.2% of capacity is taken with Covid-19 cases in general wards, while ICU wards are using 7.5% of their capacity with the disease.

“At this stage, health facilities in the public and private sectors are not under pressure as far as Covid-19 is concerned,” said the minister.

On the vaccination front, two days ago marked crossing the 30-million dose milestone,  something which “took much longer than we had wished, but it’s a significant milestone”, according to the minister.

Up to Thursday night, 18-million people in the country have received at least one dose and 41% of those eligible are fully vaccinated.

Of those in their 60s, 67% are vaccinated, and the “most difficult cohort is the 18 to 34 year-olds”, according to the minister, saying they are at 33% coverage.

A recently launched dashboard shows two-thirds of those in hospital with Covid-19 are unvaccinated.

“Only high vaccination coverage will reduce the likelihood of new variants and give protection so more of the economy can open,” said Phaahla.

TimesLIVE