COVID-19: SAMRC calls for ban on gatherings in Gauteng

The South African Medical Research Council has called on inter-provincial travelling should be discouraged and complete ban on gatherings in Gauteng as COVID-19 cases continue to upsurge in the province.

As of 17 June 2021, Gauteng reported 7520 new COVID-19 cases and has over 529 000 confirmed cases. The province accounts for over 60% of cases nationwide.

CALLS FOR COMPLETE BAN ON GATHERINGS IN GAUTENG

In an interview Virologist and Vice President for Research at the Council, Professor Jeffrey Mphahlele said South Africa could find itself in in a situation like the one we have seen in India where things get out of control, hospitals are over-burdened and they cant cope with new patients.

“For the Gauteng Province, in particular, I think we could have even stricter lockdowns because we definitely need to counter the number of new cases. I would love to see all gatherings banned completely, except funerals. The other area that perhaps we could look at, and look at it in a different way, is the schools.

“It is not really to say that schools should be closed, but the schools that could do online teaching, should be encouraged to do that. When the schools are closed, inter-provincial travel should be discouraged. It will be difficult to ban that completely, but it can be discouraged.”

COVID-19 CASES CONTINUE TO SOAR IN GAUTENG

COVID-19 infections in Gauteng are set to rocket past the peak set by the previous two waves. This resurgence is likely to be the worst of them all, and the race is on to prevent other provinces from falling into such dire circumstances.

In an interview with the SABC, South African Medical Association (SAMA) chairperson Angelique Coetzee said that school closure should come under review, especially in Gauteng.

“There should be tighter restrictions on gatherings, people should stay at home as much as possible, we need to look at school closures again, especially in Gauteng. If you want a bed in Gauteng you are going to struggle.

“This is what we’re seeing and if we want to get out of this, we need to make tough decisions. But it seems like it’s not going to happen – so for now, it is what it is, and no one should be astonished if the numbers go up.”

READ: COVID-19: Gauteng to get intervention team as cases upsurge