Catching the third wave

KNYSNA NEWS – After nearly three months in a condolatory lull, both Knysna and Bitou have seen a sharp rise in active Covid-19 cases which evidently plunges them into the third wave of the pandemic.

As at Tuesday 22 June, Knysna recorded a leap from 48 to 119 active cases (147,92% rise) from the week prior and a dramatic increase in new cases from 34 to 85 (+51 in total and a 150% rise).

In Bitou 52 new cases were logged in the past week (a 34-case, 189% increase) and a 67% rise (+29) in active cases to the highest tally since January.

In the interim, the vaccination effort in Knysna has encountered a number of hitches. After the roll-out eventually started (some two weeks after George and a week after Plettenberg Bay), several residents have come forward with complaints against the Western Cape Department of Health - from the vaccination venue being poorly ventilated to octogenarians being made to queue for over five hours to receive their jabs.

The WCDH acknowledged that there were teething problems and complaints when vaccinations were first introduced to Knysna on 10 June, but after two weeks of vaccinating in Knysna it seems all the pieces still haven't fallen into place for the Phase 2 roll-out being administered to people over the age of 60.

Queueing for hours

With Knysna Town Hall the only vaccination site thus far (the Knysna Community Day Centre opens today, 24 June), the vaccine programme has been plagued by logistical and administrative problems, in some cases causing severe distress among elderly residents.

Such as Brenton-on-Sea resident Jacques Kloppers who arrived at the Knysna Town Hall with his wife on Friday 18 June at 06:30, only to find that the queue for walk-ins was already reaching halfway around the block.

The couple, both over 80, spent five-and-a-half hours in line before receiving their vaccinations. When asked if things would be better for the follow-up jab, they were told in no uncertain terms that they would next time, once again, have to wait in line for the same length of time and go through the same process to receive their second dose.

"It looks like Knysna is playing second fiddle to other vaccination centres,'' Kloppers told KPH. "I have heard so many stories of other people getting vaccinations in 15 minutes."

Responding to questions from KPH about returning for a second vaccine, Department of Health spokesperson Nadia Ferreira was quick to quell Kloppers' concerns.

"All vaccination sites will make accommodation for people coming for their second vaccine as per their appointment allocation," she said. She also indicated that the department is "prioritising vulnerable people from the walk-in queue. Patients will be triaged and when appropriate, moved to the front of the queue".

Felix van Huysteen and his wife, also octogenarians, arrived at the site at about 07:00 and were greeted with the same daunting sight of a long, winding queue. They, along with Kloppers, opted to visit the site believing that preference would be given to people older than 80 and those with comorbidities.

"When we arrived we saw this was not the case and after two hours of waiting we were told we would not make the cut with the limited number of vaccinations available for walk-ins," he said. They decided to head home.

Mark Hughes, 68, arrived at 06:45. After nearly six hours he received his vaccine at 12:30. He too feels that more needs to be done to address the issues at the site. "People were at least wearing masks in the queue, there was a lady enforcing this, but people were not always social distancing," he said. Concerning people standing in line for hours, Ferreira indicated that "the department and municipality are addressing this issue [seating] together".

Issues 'escalated'

Ward 9 Councillor Sharon Sabbagh had received concerned calls from residents at the town hall and opted to visit herself. While she felt that in general things were running smoothly at the site, there were some crucial administrative hiccups.

"I think the number of vaccine allocations to Knysna is a concern, and also there seems to be issues with the SMS system that has been set up for registration and appointment," she said. "I have heard from residents who registered months ago but have not received appointment dates while others who registered have. This is a failure of the system."

According to Ferreira, the department is aware of the problems with the system. "The EVDS system is controlled on a national level, and local staff have no means to influence this process. The issue has been escalated to national level," she said. Ferreira further indicated that there are two demarcated queues at the town hall site, one for walk-ins and the other for appointments. She urged people to adhere to the correct demarcation.

CX Covid-19 stats

Bitou's increase had started showing two weeks before Knysna's. On 18 May, Bitou's number of active cases jumped from 17 to 35 and has stayed above 30 in the five weeks since, rising to 72 this week. In Knysna, the number jumped from 19 up to 45 on 1 June, staying above 40 for two weeks before reaching 119 this week.

As at Tuesday 22 June, Knysna had recorded a total of 5 035 cases of Covid-19, of which 4 756 have recovered, 160 have died, and 119 are active cases.

This shows a 150% increase (+51) in new cases from last week, from 34 to 85. The number of active cases also rose sharply by 147,92% this week and is now at its highest since 27 January. The deaths have increased by two - the first time in three months that the number has gone up by more than one.

In Bitou as at Tuesday, 2 924 Covid-19 cases had been recorded, with 2 751 having recovered, 101 having died, and 72 being active cases.

This shows a total of 52 new cases recorded between 15 and 22 June, up by 188,89% (+34) from last week. Having increased by 67,44% this week, the number of active cases is now the highest in Bitou since 27 January. For the third straight week the death tally has remained the same.