Decline in Covid-19 hospital admissions encouraging – dept
Johannesburg – The Gauteng Department of Health has said it is seeing a significant drop in daily new admissions for Covid-19 in hospitals.
The highest number of admissions was recorded in mid-July, the highest daily new admission surpassing 320 on 16 July, according to the department.
As of last Friday, the province had recorded 189 159 cases, 2 524 deaths and 35 485 recoveries from Covid-19 infection.
The department’s spokesperson Kwara Kekana said: “Out of a total of 91 966 contacts traced individuals who were in contact with people who tested positive for Covid-19, 70 599 people completed the 10-day monitoring period with no symptoms reported and therefore they are de-isolated.”
By that time a total of 4 749 remained hospitalised at public and private healthcare facilities.
Johannesburg continued to have the highest number of infections with 76 763, followed by Ekurhuleni with 42 304.
The department said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with private hospitals to regulate fees for health care, which means hospitals would charge a standard fee per day for a patient at an agreed rate.
“It is thus the responsibility of the private hospitals to ensure continuity of supplies as the fee the department will pay is inclusive. The department has the responsibility to ensure supplies in public hospitals. The current number of recoveries and the decline in daily new admissions is thus far greatly encouraging,” Kekana said.
