On Thursday afternoon, June 24, 2021, Gauteng Premier David Makhura is anticipated to shed some light on the province’s current crisis with COVID-19.
Makhura will head the Provincial Command Council (PCC) in a presentation on the province’s reaction to the pandemic – as well as an update on the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
The health institution was destroyed in a fire in April, forcing the Gauteng Health Department to transfer about 1000 patients to other facilities. Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane stated last week that the hospital will reopen in stages.
With COVID-19 cases in Gauteng hitting record highs, the province may soon face stringent lockdown restrictions, as Premier David Makhura has warned.
“Sitting from where we all sit, anybody can see that the COVID-19 pandemic in Gauteng is really raging, and I can’t say that what we have done is enough. I can’t rule out that we may need more restrictions, but it is something that is going to be discussed,” Makhura said on Monday.
Makhura then addressed members of his PCC about the province’s predicament and the challenge in limiting the spread of COVID-19.
If anything, his speech will outline the path forward for the administration and put an end to all conjecture. Health experts have long advocated for stronger measures in the province, including a complete ban on the sale of alcohol.
The provincial administration has frequently had to renew appeals for citizens to take the required precautions – social distance, wearing masks, and avoiding crowds.
In addition to the growing number of COVID-19 cases, Gauteng’s healthcare institutions are being overburdened with hospitalizations. The crisis-like scenario prompted the government to send personnel of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.



