IN QUOTES | David Makhura says partying youth were 'drivers' of increased Covid-19 infections

12 January 2021 - 17:00 By cebelihle bhengu
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David Makhura said partying and violations of regulations among young people have pushed Gauteng's daily Covid-19 infection numbers beyond those experienced in the first wave. File photo.
David Makhura said partying and violations of regulations among young people have pushed Gauteng's daily Covid-19 infection numbers beyond those experienced in the first wave. File photo.
Image: GCIS via Flickr

Gauteng premier David Makhura has issued a warning to young people who are violating lockdown regulations.

During a media briefing on Tuesday, Makhura warned that hospitals in the province were reporting high admissions of young people as the country battles the second wave of Covid-19.

He said the provincial government welcomes the decision to remain on alert level 3 lockdown as this will help contain the spread of Covid-19 in the province. 

Here are five quotes from his briefing: 

Gauteng is second to KwaZulu-Natal 

“We are second to KwaZulu-Natal in terms of the number of active cases. We have surpassed the Western Cape. This is an indication of where the province is going.”

Infections spreading quickly

“We are a densely populated province. One in four South Africans lives in Gauteng. Human settlements are a great source of concern as a lot of infections take place in dense settlements. Huge intermodal transport modes, where people interact in large numbers as they go to work or go about their business, are also a concern.

“Understanding the nature of the province has always been something that guides how we respond.”

Infection rate higher than first wave 

“The highest number of daily infections we had at the peak of the first wave was 6,531 a day. In the past four days, the rate of infections has surpassed the highest in the first peak.” 

Gauteng government satisfied with level 3

“The president announced staying on level 3 yesterday. We support that fully because we couldn’t imagine the restrictions being lifted. We have not yet seen the impact of level 3 restrictions. Scientists say it takes time to start a positive impact. The first impact we have seen is hospital admissions and trauma units on New Year’s Eve.”

Youth flouting regulations 

“What we are experiencing now is a combination of the interactions people had in December, especially mid-December to Christmas. We had lots of places where gatherings were taking place. In some instances, young people were the drivers of partying and violating regulations.

“The message to young people is: Covid-19, especially this new variant, is very deadly.”

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