​Lerato Mailoane
The Gauteng Provincial COVID-19 Command Council has attributed the decrease in COVID-19 active cases to the province's ward-based strategy which has necessitated a focus on municipal wards, especially in COVID-19 hotspot areas, as a critical aspect of government's response to manage and contain the virus.
Leading the Command Council media briefing on Friday, 21 August, MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko said: "We are now on level 2 of the nationwide lockdown, and more economic activity has resumed which it means we can't do screening and testing at roadblocks like we used to at points of entry and there will be more freedom of movement. There are no restrictions on inter-provincial traveling," said Mazibuko.
Speaking on the social mobilization , MEC for Human Settlements, Urban Planning and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Lebogang Maile said during the Provincial Command Council said that the Ward Based War Rooms (WBWR) which is made up of  all three spheres of government has  strengthened government's  capacity to respond to COVID-19 challenges in communities through  ward-based support and interventions informed by the ward profiles.
"The WBWR is based on our COVID-19 response to enable practical implementation of support to local communities and enable community mobilisation and participation at ward level.
"With a total number of 529 wards (467 active) in the province, we have deployed 350 community development workers (CDWs), 1078 community health workers (CHWs) and approximately 30 000 other community workers, disaggregated per ward in the pprovince," said Maile.He added that the ward –based war rooms comprise of ward councillors, who are supported by other elected public representatives and community development workers
"Through the ward-based approach, we have been able to successfully implement the following in all districts around the province:
Screening, tracking, tracing, testing in line with established protocols
Ensure enforcement and compliance in government buildings, shopping malls, informal traders, mining houses and public transport facilities
Community mobilisation on the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, washing of hands, wearing of masks, physical and social distancing", said Maile.

As of Thursday, the province had recorded a total of 202 955 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 30 512 are still active. 
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To date, 83 people in the province have succumbed to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of deaths to 3 144.