Home / ZA Top News in South Africa Regions / Drastic measures needed to curb surge in COVID-19 infections: Prof Mlisana

Drastic measures needed to curb surge in COVID-19 infections: Prof Mlisana

June 27, 2021

Co-chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on COVID-19 Professor Koleka Mlisana says drastic measures should be implemented to curb the surge of coronavirus cases.

The committee has highlighted that the Delta variant, which is driving the pandemic in India, is now the main cause of new infections in South Africa.

Speaking during a virtual briefing yesterday, Mlisana says if the transmission rates and the number of infections are to be reduced in the country, tighter restrictions are needed.

“We need to be very decisive and go to an extent of saying how do we then restrict movement of persons and how are we going to do that and that needs to be done very urgently. It’s going to mean how do we then restrict even further gatherings, probably we should be saying there should be no gatherings whatsoever. What else can we do to reduce the transmission?”

Other provinces to experience surge in infections like Gauteng

Acting Health Minister Mamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane says trends are clearly showing that other provinces are going to experience a surge in numbers of COVID-19 infections, as currently being experienced in Gauteng.

She says the health system in the province is under strain. Kubayi-Ngubane updated the public on the current status of infections across the country yesterday and the impact of the Delta variant that is spreading across the country. She said initial indications were that the third wave would not be as bad as the second surge but that the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant has changed the situation.

Delta variant driving third wave of COVID-19 infections:

“We are in the third wave. We continue to see the numbers repeatedly rising and the number of these infections continue to rise and Gauteng continues to be the epicentre of these new infections. We remain very worried about the rise in the hospitalisation which is putting a lot of strain on the health facilities in Gauteng.”

South Africa recorded almost 18 000 new infections in the past 24 hours. One hundred and fifty-seven new COVID-19-related deaths were also recorded, taking the total since the pandemic outbreak to 59 788.

SA’s latest COVID-19 stats: