East Cape death toll predicted to hit 6,000 in three months

The Eastern Cape could see up to 6,000 deaths in the next three months due to Covid-19.

The projected deaths are expected to occur during the peak of the virus between October and November.

The prediction forms part of a comprehensive report compiled by the Eastern Cape provincial command council which is run by Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane.

“If the modelling is correct the Eastern Cape is at the start of an exponential increase in deaths over the next three months,” the report reads.

“Based on the projections the cumulative death toll could be between 5,500 and 6,000."

The report suggests that infrastructure and support services would have to be put in place urgently to deal with the situation.

However, it warns that based on the amount of the hospital beds in the province the Eastern Cape was not able to to manage the demand of the pandemic.

“Unless capabilities are exponentially and rapidly increased, the province will experience a situation where the demand will be exceeding supply.

The report predicts that based on projections demand of hospital beds will outstrip supply by early to mid-July.

It would appear from the data that the lockdown did not produce the required increase in capacity in the Eastern Cape to deal with the future demand.”