Covid-19: Struggling Gauteng balances economy with livelihoods

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has vowed to do everything in his government’s power to curb the province’s alarming rate of infections, but says the economy cannot be shut down and an alert Level 5 lockdown is off the cards. “There has to be a balance between saving lives and saving livelihoods,” he stressed.

However, the province will be increasing the availability of hospital beds, securing more healthcare workers and accelerating the re-opening of parts of the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, which was damaged in a fire in April.

In a briefing this afternoon (July 24), the provincial command council stated that Gauteng had yesterday recorded its highest single-day numbers since the start of the pandemic – 10 806 cases.

As it stands, Gauteng has contributed between 60%–62% of the national cases over the past week. Makhura warned that the high numbers are a cause of great concern as they give an indication of whether or not the healthcare system will be able to cope with the rising cases. “

The spike that is happening doesn’t suggest that we have reached the peak. The likelihood is that unless something is done, these numbers might keep shooting up,” he said.

Makhura stated that 5 800 people are currently in hospital, which is a dramatic increase from five days ago when around 3 800 patients were hospitalised. He said the rise in hospitalisations follows a day or two after the rise in infections, which is why the new cases reported in the province of late are worrying.

“Admissions lag behind infections, sometimes by a week or two, which means we have to be ready over a longer period to deal with the consequences of this surge.” It is therefore crucial for both private and public hospitals to prepare for the looming increase in hospitalisations.

The premier stated that all resources and energies are being spent to increase the province’s bed capacity. With a test positivity rate of 37% in Gauteng – which is in sharp contrast to the 5% the World Health Organisation uses to indicate the virus is under control – hospitals and clinics and gearing up for the worst.

Makhura stated that additional beds have been activated across hospitals in the province, and some hospitals are repurposing certain areas as Covid-19 wards. The province is also working on securing additional staff and labour to match the increased bed capacity.

He acknowledged that ultimately, national government might need to implement stricter measures to reduce the transmission rate of the virus, and urged the police to ensure that the rules and regulations of the lockdown are being adhered to.

Law enforcement operations will be increased within a few days to ensure compliance with Covid-19 protocols in business premises, at gatherings, public transport facilities and schools.

The premier pleaded with the public to do all they can to reduce transmissions by wearing a mask, social distancing and adhering to sanitising rules and other Covid-19 safety protocols.

He reminded members of the public that frontline healthcare workers and people over the age of 60 are eligible to receive a vaccine at any of the vaccination sites, whether or not they have registered.