Northern/Tygerberg COVID-19 update - 4 December 2020

Delft confirmed outbreak; mask wearing not happening
 

Contact tracing lead in Northern Tygerberg Delaray Fourie is appealing to all community members in the metro to help health workers in the fight against the Coronavirus.

Fourie and her team are tasked with tracking the latest case numbers and found several areas of concern in the Northern Tygerberg substructure.

As of 3 December 2020, the Northern sub-district recorded 303 new COVID-19 new cases (55% increase) and Tygerberg 496 (58% increase) - most of these cases attributed to areas in Tygerberg, which includes Delft, a confirmed outbreak spot.

We have established and identified an outbreak in Delft. Areas where we have found early outbreaks and require intervention include Parow, Bonteheuwel, Ravensmead, Bothasig, Durbanville, Wallacedene and Edgemead. We continue to track these cases and urge all citizen to help us bring the situation under control.

“We need to stick to the basics. The basics include wearing your masks, physical distancing, handwashing or sanitizing regularly and avoiding confined, crowded or close-contact settings,” says Fourie.
 

New deaths

Reports from our local surveillance team indicate that people are not wearing masks. Even in cases where there are mask distributions, people take the masks but don’t wear them.
 

As we have seen during the first wave of infections, once community transmission is established within communities, especially in the Metro, the situation can quickly deteriorate if not brought under control soon.

This holiday season cannot be treated as the last. Our behaviour will be influenced once we acknowledge and accept that the virus is not gone. As more research has become available, it has become clear that the virus’s rapid spread in particles is a contributing factor. Therefore, we need to remain safe. You can protect your loved ones and community by:
 

1. Avoiding large gatherings and confined spaces with poor ventilation
2. Wearing your mask and not touching your face unnecessarily.
3. Keeping 1,5 m apart, especially inside shops.
4. Covering your cough.
5. Washing your hands often.
6. Staying home when sick and letting your manager know that you’re not feeling well, instead of reporting for duty.

It is vital that we avoid places with poor ventilation, overcrowding, and crowded indoor spaces. Our numbers are going up and it is not only up to healthcare workers to bring them down. Beating the Coronavirus starts with you.