DA calls for detailed provincial data as Western Cape caseload soars

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for detailed daily data releases, which analyses caseloads categorised by region, in all nine provinces.

On Sunday evening, the official opposition party confirmed its intention to submit Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) applications to provincial health departments. In a statement penned by the party’s Shadow Minister of Health, Siviwe Gwarube, the DA argued that inconsistent data, particularly statistics regarding testing efforts, remained a major concern.

The Cape’s COVID-19 caseload

The DA’s call for regular updates comes at a time when the Western Cape’s confirmed caseload continues to soar far above other provinces’. The Western Cape, governed by the DA, has recorded over 3 000 infections, with Cape Town holding the dubious title of the outbreak’s local epicentre.

The DA has, however, argued that while the Cape’s numbers are concerning, the data needs to be viewed in perspective, primarily in relation to the number of tests conducted in the province and its districts. On 3 May, the province had conducted over 43 000 tests; more than double the amount undertaken by the Gauteng government.

Currently, only the Western Cape and Gauteng release daily data sets to the public, with the latter’s statistics on testing criticised as inconsistent.

Gwarube said that the party’s call for transparent reporting had initially been tabled before the Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize, pointing to serious concerns in two provinces, explaining:

“There seems to be a desire in some provinces to withhold data from the public for no reason at all. As an example of this absurdity, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government is claiming that these statistics are embargoed.

The crisis in the Eastern Cape where less than 10 000 tests were conducted in 5 weeks was discovered much later than it should have because there was no requirement for public release of testing figures.”

Western Cape’s targeted testing approach

Gwarube added that the Western Cape’s targeted testing approach was in line with expert evidence provided by epidemiologists. The province’s screening and testing strategy, which focuses on specific high-risk clusters, directly informs interventions aimed at flattening the curve.

Addressing the vast disparity between provincial testing capacities, Gwarube said:

“Information released by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) this week revealed that in the period between 4 March and 27 April the Western Cape conducted 541 tests per 100 000 people followed by Gauteng that conducted 439 per 100 000 people and lastly by the Free State that conducted 284 per 100 000 people.”

The DA noted that the PAIA applications should be authorised by mid-May.