The CSIR Senior Researcher, Dr Ridhwaan Suliman, said a spike of Covid-19 cases is expected in Gauteng in the coming weeks because more people will be returning to the province after the December holidays.
He said in the previous week, there have been more than 9,500 new hospital admissions due to Covid-19.
“In Gauteng, the increase in hospitalization has been 44% compared to the previous week and it is certainly something to look out for as the rise is quite rapid,” he said.
This is a concerning statistic, however, the provincial department said that it is prepared.
Dr Suliman also said that despite the statistics, there is no need to panic at the moment and that people now need to work together as a community more than ever to limit the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, the University of Witwatersrand scientist Professor Mr Bruce Mellado, added that vacationers from other provinces will have an impact on new infections.
“People that will come back from vacation from some of the provinces that would be hot spots, will return in significantly larger numbers than the numbers in the province. And that basically creates what people would refer to as a spike, and without a doubt that is a very serious concern,” he added.
