'No, Gauteng has not run out of oxygen,' says provincial health department

The Gauteng health department has denied claims the province has run out of oxygen amid a surge in Covid-19 cases.

A report by UK publication, The Telegraph, claimed hospitals are overwhelmed “as Johannesburg runs out of oxygen”.

The province's health department spokesperson Kwara Kekana told TimesLIVE the widely shared article was untrue.

“Gauteng has not run out of oxygen.”

She said the province has, since April, a system in place which triggers an alert for oxygen refills as soon as it reaches 50% capacity.

The department earlier admitted an increase in the demand for oxygen as more people are hospitalised.

“As more Covid-19 cases are reported, the number of admissions and bed occupancy rate for critical patients has increased which put more pressure on ventilators, oxygen points and oxygen supplies.”

SA has 276,242 positive cases with a total death toll of 4,079.