Staff Writer
In the early stages of the covid-19 pandemic outbreak, OR Tambo International Airport, Centurion, Sandton/Fourways and Bedfordview were the only hotspots identified in Gauteng.
As such the provincial government deployed tracing teams to track down all contacts and ensure those who are positive and their contacts are in isolation and quarantine.
Speaking at the Provincial Command Council media briefing on Thursday, 14 May 2020, Premier, David Makhura noted that the geography of the Covid-19 hotspots was constantly changing.
"There are now clear signs of emerging hotspots in the townships: Soweto, Orange Farm, Alex, Kathorus (Kathelong, Thokoza and Vosloorus), KwaThema, Tembisa, Ivory Park, Soshanguve, Ennerdale, Vanderbijlpark, Pretoria West and Houghton/Yeoville", said Makhura.
Makhura added that even 30 cases in townships is a lot as transmissions can happen from 40 in a short space of time to huge numbers and as such the provincial government will heighten its screening efforts in townships.
"We want to get to those areas that are emerging a hotspots, we don't want to wait until the density of cases is too much to overwhelm out healthcare system. We are now redirecting our screening and testing to these areas", said Makhura.
Premier Makhura added that, the provincial government would have to be satisfied that there is full compliance of level 4 regulations in the province before they can present Gauteng's case to move to level 3 in the coming  weeks.
As of 14 May 2020, Gauteng had recorded 2 074 cases, 1 547 recoveries and 24 deaths.​