COVID-19 Second Wave In South Africa

FOLLOWING the outbreak of COVID-19 in South Africa in early March 2020, and cases peaking during the week of 5-11 July 2020 (over 13,000 cases daily), the daily caseload plunged to less than 1,000 cases per day, with a 7% positivity rate.

In the past few weeks a major surge in cases have been reported in the Eastern Cape Province, and more recently in the Western Cape Province. More than 2,000 cases per day are being reported with a significant increase in the number of persons testing positive.

Numerous countries, whose initial public health interventions contained COVID-19, are now in the midst of a ‘second wave’ of COVID-19 infections.  With the holiday season rapidly approaching and many making plans for travel as well as social gatherings, South Africans need to be especially aware of the need to comply with non-pharmaceutical measures to minimise transmission of the virus.

A ‘second wave’