Gauteng Premier David Makhura said that though the province had won the battle of the second wave, the looming third wave would only be flattened by the collective effort of residents.
The premier gave an update on Friday on the COVID-19 response in Gauteng, alongside the Provincial Command Council.
Gauteng has recorded over 425,000 cases since the outbreak began, while over 10,000 residents have succumbed to the virus and at least 1,300 people were currently hospitalized in public and private facilities.
Home to more than a quarter of South Africa’s population, Gauteng has recorded an alarming rate of infections, which has doubled over the past few days.
All of the province’s six districts have seen a spike in cases, with the highest increases recorded in Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Sedibeng.
The council’s chair, Dr Mary Kawonga, said that Emfuleni was approaching a third wave threshold after consistently recording the highest daily cases, every day for the past three weeks.
“For as long as Emfuleni is at risk, the rest of the province is at risk. We can’t let our guard down. The third wave that has been predicted is going to come.”
Premier David Makhura warned against complacency, especially from the youth.
“The youth often drive this risky behaviour. If you want to know why Tshwane we had that outbreak, it was young people that drove the outbreak in November/December.”
Makhura believed that the lessons learned in the first and second waves would help the province better prepare for any eventuality.
-EWN
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