Gauteng has prepared sites for potential mass burials as the province surpasses the Western Cape as the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa.

Provincial Health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku and officials from the forensic pathology services visited the area reserved for COVID-19 burials in Tshwane on Wednesday.

During a National Assembly hybrid sitting Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced that Gauteng had officially overtaken the Western Cape as the pandemic epicentre.

Mkhize says Gauteng recorded a total of 75 015 confirmed cases after 3 527 new infections were recorded overnight, while the Western Cape had 73 292 confirmed cases.

The health minister revealed that more than 4 800 health workers have tested positive for COVID-19 by the end of June with nurses being mostly affected, saying the Western Cape accounts for most of the cases.

“As on the 30th of June 4821 health workers were reported to have been infected with COVID-19 across the country. This data represents cases of Health Workers in both Public and Private sector with the Western Cape continuing to account for the majority which is 68 percent of healthcare workers with 3285 infections as of the 29th of June 2020…”

Mkhize says, ““The leading number of infection are among the nurses with 2474 infections followed by other healthcare professionals, including community health workers reporting 1971 and doctors recording 377 infections.”

Source: SABCNews