Johannesburg – As the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the country, Gauteng has been hit hard with most cases coming from the province.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) revealed that in the past 24 hours 9160 new Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the country.
Of the latest infections, the majority were found in Gauteng (6 292), followed by the Western Cape (647).
New data shows that 93 more people succumbed to the respiratory disease, pushing the death toll to 58 795.
Meanwhile, the public health institute said 341 more patients were admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 9 503.
A medic from Roodeport, Gauteng, Bayanda Gumede, Chief Nephrology Technologist, took to Twitter and posted a video on how bad the scourge of the virus is in Gauteng.
Gumede said in the video, “I am having a day from hell. All I can say is that Covid-19 is wreaking havoc.”
“I have been running around, there’s no hospitals around, I am running a private renal clinic in Roodeport. People are unable to access hospitals at the moment,” Gumede continued.
Watch Gumede’s video below:
Gauteng is experiencing a crisis. We are under pressure. Patients calling for help, they can’t breathe. No hospitals available in Gauteng both Public and Private. Protect the elderly and those with pre existing conditions.
#level5#Covid19SA #COVID19 #COVIDVaccination pic.twitter.com/H0qap6SDQl— Bayanda Gumede (@BayandaGumede) June 21, 2021
Speaking to Sunday World, Gumede said, “I urge the public to get tested as soon as they feel any Covid-19 symptoms. From what I have seen, many patients are treating the symptoms of the common flu and are deteriorating to a point where they are needing further hospital care. Medical practitioners in the province are overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases and the province was simply just not prepared for the third wave of this pandemic.”
Gumede also urged the government to act now and implement harsher lockdown restrictions to help stem the transmission of the virus and to even re-open up the Nasrec facility to help the many people in need of further medical care.
He further said, “Hospitals are at capacity at the moment, private and public. I encourage people to stay at home to avoid getting infected. From what I have seen, people are getting infected from attending small gatherings as well.”
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