Covid-19 third wave hits Gauteng - Six key takeouts from premier David Makhura's address

As Covid-19 cases continue to soar in Gauteng, the provincial coronavirus command council addressed the media on Thursday about the province's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gauteng is the epicentre of Covid-19 in the country and has the most daily cases. On Thursday, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) revealed that the province had 9,521 daily cases, 59% of all new cases for that period. 

Gauteng premier David Makhura warned that the third wave of infections is severe and urged residents not to be complacent.

Here are six takeouts from the address: 

Elective surgeries

The premier said health experts in the committee recommended moving back some surgeries to open up space for Covid-19 patients.

“The clinicians will make the decision about which elective surgeries they can afford to do later as part of the management of hospital admissions. We have also been activating all the additional beds in the system created during the first and second wave.”

Working with the private sector 

Makhura said he is in constant communication with the private sector to help the government understand capacity at private hospitals.

“We're working with the private sector ... to understand what is happening in the private sector, what are they doing and where they have capacity. The public sector is always lagging behind in hospital admissions and the number of people in the public sector. In all the previous waves, the beds fill up first in the private sector and then you know that trouble is coming.”

Shutting down the economy is not an option

“We cannot shut down the economy, we cannot ask the national council to shut down the economy. We cannot afford to shut down the economy. Slowing down the pandemic is in our hands,” Makhura said.

Long Covid-19

Makhura said there are patients who suffer from the effects of Covid-19 long after they have “recovered.” He admitted that the health system does not monitor them continually, but rather focuses on those who are immediately infected.

“When it is assumed that you have recovered, it is assumed that you hit the road and move on. There are a number of people who are really struggling because this is a novel virus, we may find there are lots of long-term effects. The system needs to prepare to deal with the post-Covid-19 issues.”

Charlotte Maxeke Hospital 

The premier said Charlotte Maxeke is ready to reopen to help lessen the load of Covid-19. He said structural engineers had assessed the building, which was recently damaged by a fire, and confirmed that some parts of the buildings are “usable”.

“Waiting until September when every compliance is met, is not an option. The clinicians presented clear evidence that people from Charlotte Maxeke are overburdening the other hospitals. When we weigh the risk of closing and the fact that some parts of the building are structurally sound, we came to the conclusion that it is better to open parts that are structurally sound.”

Mass gatherings 

The premier said residents need to prevent the spread of Covid-19 by wearing masks and avoiding mass gatherings that defy the restrictions. 

“People decide to defy the numbers of gatherings, but when infections hit the roof who is to blame? It's the government. Some of them even say that we are going to march without complying. It's like Covid-19 is not there.”