By STAFF REPORTER
North West MEC for Health, Madoda Sambatha expressed grave concern as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the province. The cumulative number of cases reported thus far is 101 736 with 82 620 people have recovered from the coronavirus with an 81.2% recovery rate and 2 475 deaths.
“We are gravely concerned by the steady increase of COVID-19 cases in the province, the average cases reported since last week hovers around 1000 on average. This is a serious cause for concern for our province, given the status quo unfolding in Gauteng Province.
“The province has 16 001 active cases to date with Bojanala District accounting for 9801 cases, followed by Dr Kenneth Kaunda with 2981 and Ngaka Modiri Molema district with 2350 cases, while Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati has the least cases with only 614 cases,” he said.
Sambatha further said Bojanala and Dr Kenneth Kaunda districts remain the major concern for the province as they continue to register more positive daily cases and as the main economic zones of the province. He added that special attention must be paid to these districts.
“The early signs indicate that these districts might become serious hotspots once the Delta variant starts to pound our province. The province has administered 159 272 vaccines to date and we plead to all eligible persons to continue to register on the EVDS for vaccination.
“The process to register persons 50 years and above for vaccination has open on 1 July 2021. We still plead with our communities to adhere to basic preventative measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections, it is up to us to stop this deadly virus,” said Sambatha.
Therefore, he urged communities to take responsibility and not wait for the government to police them for compliance.
Meanwhile, a registered counsellor, Sumari Nel who works closely with the North West University’s Centre for Health and Human Performance (CHHP) said the pandemic could have dreadful effects on many people’s mental health.
Nel said: “People have lost their loved ones, financial stability, some of the freedom, social interaction and a “normal” people were used to. We have also learned a lot during this time, but a lot of uncertainty remains. This has a significant impact on our mental health.
“When the outbreak started, most of us thought or hoped that this would be temporary, but as weeks became months, a sense of hopelessness set in about the prevailing circumstances, and also about new challenges that are arising.”
She further said it is during these times that people must ground themselves in hope too. Nel said the American psychologist Charles Snyder describes hope as the perceived ability and motivation to walk certain paths that ultimately lead to the desired outcome.
“Hope is seen as the fuel that keeps people going through action. Snyder’s hope theory states that hope consists of both cognitive (process and content of thinking) and affective (emotions) components that ultimately lead to action.
“Therefore, you need to have focused thoughts, set goals and strategies to achieve them, and be motivated in pursuit of these goals. If, we perceive our current circumstances as hopeless, we may not be aware of the impact of our negative automatic thoughts on our experience of negative emotions and a change in functional behaviour,” said Nel.
She said it is important to be aware of and vigilant regarding thoughts, especially during this pandemic and to evaluate the rationale of our thinking.
Nel said this increased awareness makes way for a greater probability of experiencing an increase in positive emotions and of behaving in a more functional way, which ultimately improves mental health and allows you to live each day with hope.
“All around us we see individuals making an extra effort to take care of their physical health, but it is important that we also make an extra effort to nurture and protect our mental health.
“There is a lot of uncertainty and circumstances that are to a great extent out of our control, but people must embark on this journey with hope, focusing on what control they still have, nurturing the chances and opportunities they still have,” she said.
Nel also encouraged people to celebrate the “small” victories of each day with a grateful heart. She said at the end of the day, people should write down at least one thing for which they can be thankful.
“Set realistic, clear and achievable goals while recognising the potential barriers or roadblocks along the path. Spend time with people, even if it is virtually, who make you feel good and make you smile.
“Focus your attention on the facts from trusted resources to stay up to date regarding the news, but limit exposure to untrustworthy media resources. Constantly checking various websites for news and new comments can have an adverse effect on your mental health, as it may increase feelings of hopelessness and fear. Make time to also read about positive outcomes.
The Guardian 