BL Premium reports that the catastrophic Covid-19 situation in Gauteng, which has resulted in a shortage of hospital beds, oxygen and ventilators, is on track to reach the worst-case scenario, creating a dilemma for a provincial government that wants to avoid closing down the economy.
A worst-case scenario, according to Wits University physics professor Bruce Mellado, is when a resurgence will infect everyone who has not already been infected. “The first and second waves did not follow the worst-case scenario and the numbers went down long before herd immunity was reached. The third wave in Gauteng is following the worst-case scenario. The additional problem is that we have had a spike within the wave and perhaps we are seeing a second one. That is very serious,” he said. Gauteng premier David Makhura, whose administration has come under severe criticism for a failure to prepare for the third wave, including delays in getting Charlotte Maxeke hospital working again after a fire in April, castigated residents for their lack of compliance with health protocols, such as the wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing. He said “law enforcement would increase quite dramatically over the next few days” including roadblocks. On Wednesday, Gauteng recorded 10,806 cases, or 62% of all those nationwide, exceeding the peaks of the first and second waves. This has resulted in reports of patients queuing outside hospitals, and ambulances standing in line to drop them off. While there has been speculation of tighter lockdown restrictions, Makhura said a shutdown of the economy as happened under level 5 in 2020 was unsustainable for Gauteng.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Linda Ensor at BusinessLive (paywall access only)
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