Hard lockdown not a solution, says Joburg mayor
As Gauteng's Covid-19 cases spike, Johannesburg executive mayor, Geoff Makhubo, says hard lockdown will not be a solution, however, certain regulations should be looked at to curb the spread of the virus.
Makhubo was speaking in Marlboro during the unveiling of land which will be used to temporarily house residents from Covid-19 hotspots in Johannesburg.
"We are seeing a spike in numbers, in the last week we've had 3 000 additional infections in the province, a majority have been in Johannesburg.
Hospitals
"The infection rate is growing; the active cases are high, and we are worried about the capacity in our hospitals.
"But we think we have got enough beds, we've got enough quarantine sites that can withstand the pressure we will face in July and August," he said.
While Johannesburg hospitals reach maximum capacity during the province's peak, Makhubo said it was mainly alcohol-related accidents filling up the hospitals.
"What is happening in our hospitals… it's other incidents other than Covid - it's incidents of trauma, stabbings, car accidents which are increasing in our hospitals.
"Remember during the lockdown this was almost down to zero, now they are back and part of the cause is alcohol - it's a big, big contributor," he said.
Makhubo added that it was possible for alcohol restrictions to be revisited.
"The alcohol economy is like any other economy - the restrictions, the times it can be sold, the times that people are in the streets consuming alcohol - that can be looked at.
"The idea was to buy and drink at home, but people still drink [in public] and drive around and cause accidents on the road."
However, Makhubo said he did not believe a hard lockdown was the solution.
Makhubo said:
We have to balance the economy - the capacity of the state to deliver when the economy is [under] distress - and saving lives. “We prefer saving lives first, but at the same time how do you balance this with the economy?
This article originally appeared on News24
Photo: News24