Gauteng residents may have to go back to lockdown Levels 4 and 5 if the province's Covid-19 figures keep rising at the rate that they are. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency(ANA) Gauteng residents may have to go back to lockdown Levels 4 and 5 if the province's Covid-19 figures keep rising at the rate that they are. Picture: Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency(ANA)
Johannesburg - Gauteng residents may have to return to lockdown levels 4 and 5 if the province's Covid-19 figures keep rising at the rate they are.
During the provincial command council's latest update on the pandemic on Thursday, Premier David Makhura said the situation in Gauteng with regards to Covid-19 needed extraordinary interventions.
That, he said, may be to ask that Gauteng be returned to a strict lockdown.
"The storm is here, no doubt about it. The critical issue is that we have to look at a number of interventions to help us weather the storm.
"The interventions will be informed by the advisory committee in terms of their full impact. We don't want to do something for dramatic purposes but without achieving the results, but it's quite clear we are going to have to do some of the things given where we are now that are extraordinary.
"Some (of the interventions) may be asking National Command Council to introduce some of the restrictions we have had in the earlier phases," he said.
MEC for Health in Gauteng Bandile Masuku said the peak of the pandemic was expected in August and September and they were in the process of ensuring there were enough beds in the province.
So far, he said, they have created more space and beds at hospitals across the province.
He also said they had embarked on a project to create permanent beds that would also be used beyond the pandemic and that they had identified 300 at Kopanong Hospital, 500 at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, 300 at George Mukhari and 300 at Jubilee Hospital.
In addition, he said field hospitals would also close the gap with 2 500 beds.