Premier David Makhura revealed this at the weekly Provincial Command Council briefing on COVID-19.
According to News24 the committee’s Professor Bruce Mellado said while the province was able able to handle the first significant surge from June, there was still the possibility other surges.
#COVID19 | The Gauteng Provincial Command Council gives an update on COVID-19 in Gauteng https://t.co/VDNZ1zJJAS
— Gauteng Provincial Gov (@GautengProvince) August 13, 2020
Mellado said non-pharmaceutical interventions continued to be needed.
“Given the success of controlling the first surge and hotspots, we’re now in a position to relax the lockdown. Clearly, there are different scenarios; the relaxation of the lockdown is a complex matter. From the mathematical standpoint and also based on experience from other countries, it is very clear that whatever happens, whatever relations take place or whatever configuration of the relaxation takes place; there be performed gradually in a phased way.”
Gauteng has recorded a 78% recovery rate in the number of people infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past week. The number of daily infections has also decreased.
Mellado said the province is not out of the woods just yet.
“Despite the success, we have to be cognisant of the fact that this drop is not the result of the pandemic having reached its peak.”
Premier Makhura declined to comment on calls for the lifting of bans on the sale of alcohol and cigarettes. He, however, expressed concern over the state of the economy and how it’s impacting on people’s livelihoods.
