'We have now reached the surge,' says Health Minister
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A SAPS detective being tested for Covid-19 by Dr Abdul Rawoot of Gift of the Givers. Picture: Brendan Magaar/African News Agency (ANA) A SAPS detective being tested for Covid-19 by Dr Abdul Rawoot of Gift of the Givers. Picture: Brendan Magaar/African News Agency (ANA)
Cape Town - Health Minister Zweli Mkhize on Wednesday called for unity in the fight against Covid-19 as he told Parliament that South Africa has reached a point where large numbers of infections would continue to be reported daily until the pandemic reaches its peak.
Mkhize said that the country, which on Tuesday saw an excess of 10 000 new Covid-19 cases, is still expected to experience the peak of the outbreak in August.
The minister stressed that the community testing and screening programmes have been instrumental in identifying active cases within communities where the transmission rate is high.
"More than 20 million people have been screened and 302 713 suspected cases have been referred for testing," he said.
Mkhize called on political parties and ordinary citizens to rally behind the government's efforts. He told MPs that the fight against the virus could only be won if the country was united.
"Honourable House Chairperson and Honourable Members, we have now reached the surge. The storm that we have consistently warned south Africans about is now arriving. As a nation we have every reason to be united in this fight against Covid-19. We dare not be divided.
"As government, we have said, we cannot fight this Covid-19 enemy alone. We need all political parties, social partners and every citizen to come on board," Mkhize said.