We need to be closing schools. We need a form of lockdown - Netcare CEO

The Money Show’s Bruce Whitfield interviews Dr Richard Friedland, CEO at Netcare.

• South Africa's Covid-19 third wave “curve” remains on a steep incline

• Gauteng is bearing the brunt, and its hospitals are filled to the brim

• The Western Cape is "probably three or four weeks" from where Gauteng is right now

---

---

RELATED: 62% of people living in South Africa has had Covid-19 – Discovery Health

---

South Africa’s third wave of Covid-19 infections is still on a steep incline.

The country recorded 13 155 new infections on Sunday while 112 people have died.

About 2.1 million people have received at least one shot of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Gauteng - the epicentre of the third wave – is recording about 60% of all new cases, and on Sunday it reported the highest number since the start of the pandemic.

Healthcare facilities are starting to buckle under the pressure, Dr Mary Kawonga (Gauteng Premier's Advisory Committee on Covid-19) warned on Monday.

“I don't want to sound negative, but I think the public is not taking this as seriously as they ought to,” said Kawonga.

Gauteng could reach its third wave peak in the next two weeks, according to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

“Based on the trajectory of previous waves, we may enter a peak in the next two weeks, but it is very much dependent on our individual and collective behaviour,” said CSIR Senior Researcher Dr Ridhwaan Suliman.

There are more than 5000 Covid-19 patients in the hospital right now, with more than 20% of them in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“This is extremely severe,” warned Netcare CEO Dr Richard Friedland last week.

“In Gauteng, we are in the eye of the storm, with things set to get a lot worse than they are.

The Money Show’s Bruce Whitfield interviewed Friedland (scroll up to listen).

---

RELATED:Gauteng not far off from what happened in India – Mark Heywood (SECTION27)

---

We saw record numbers on Saturday… Activity levels are higher than they were before the initial lockdown in March last year… We have to self-regulate…

Richard Friedland, CEO - Netcare

Right across the board… there is an urgent demand for critical care beds… a mass-casualty situation… on an ongoing basis across Gauteng… We are incredibly well prepared… but the sheer numbers… are overwhelming facilities… A lot more people are getting infected…

Richard Friedland, CEO - Netcare

One hopes the other provinces… can at least get as many people vaccinated as possible. The Western Cape… is probably three or four weeks from where we are now.

Richard Friedland, CEO - Netcare

We need to be closing schools… We need a form of lockdown… People need to self-regulate… It’s an agonising disease!

Richard Friedland, CEO - Netcare

We think there were fewer people affected in Gauteng during the second wave… There’s no evidence there’s another variant at play here…

Richard Friedland, CEO - Netcare

This article first appeared on CapeTalk : We need to be closing schools. We need a form of lockdown - Netcare CEO

More from Covid-19 coronavirus explained

More from Information about Covid-19 coronavirus