‘Everybody cried’: Western Cape Health Department head after a year of Covid-19 – News24

Dr Keith Cloete, head of the Western Cape health department. Picture: Nasief Manie/Spotlight

In January 2020, Dr Keith Cloete sat at a press conference with the Western Cape Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo and the outgoing head of the Department of Health in the Western Cape, Dr Beth Engelbrecht.

A quiet, unassuming man, Cloete sat at the end of the table in the sunny meeting room of the modern District 6 Clinic in the Cape Town CBD, fielding general questions as he was introduced to the media.

At that time, Covid-19 was regarded as something that was happening far, far away.