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Now is not the time for one province to be amused by the plight of another, but it wasn’t that long ago that the rest of the country was looking at the Western Cape and tutting disapprovingly.

Y’all remember the uproar and outrage from the rest of the country regarding Sea Point promenade on the first day that outside exercise was allowed?

There was some reckless behaviour on display, but we’re quickly learning that it only takes a handful of cluster outbreaks to plunge an entire province into the mire.

The Eastern Cape is battling a wave of infections, along with a healthcare system that has all but collapsed, but it’s the numbers coming out of Gauteng that make for the most alarming reading.

On June 26, Gauteng recorded 2 598 new cases, and 2 590 on June 25, both of which are the highest increases in cases in a single day in any province.

In response to the surge, reports News24, the Gauteng provincial government says it may look at “intermittent lockdowns”:

To alleviate cluster outbreaks and the increasing spread, [Health MEC Bandile] Masuku said the provincial command council was looking into various options and would continue monitoring the changes in the pandemic throughout the coming weeks.

“The [Covid-19] response is not standard, and it’s not rigid. It is dynamic and agile – and it will depend on the circumstances as we view them and as we review them every day. There are number of methods and number of options that we are looking at, and actually discussing and reviewing their outcomes, and what could be the objectives of them.

“It is a possibility to look at what we call intermittent lockdowns, where we open up for a particular period and close for a particular period of time,” Masuku said.

As you can see from this screenshot, taken off the Hydra Africa COVID-19 tracking site, the Western Cape still has the highest number of confirmed cases.

However, if you look at active cases, Gauteng has as many as the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape combined.

According to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, the increase in Gauteng’s cases can be attributed to a number of factors, including increased inward migration from other provinces, and increased congregating, which had led to cluster outbreaks.

Masuku added that the province was in communication with officials in the Western Cape, and would continue to be, in order to learn about the efforts being undertaken to curb the virus’ spread.

What exact measures would be taken under an “intermittent lockdown” remains unclear.

As for the country as a whole, it’s heartening to see our first COVID-19 vaccine trial begin at Wits University, but we are a very long way from any sort of finish line.

Professor Salim Abdool Karim, one of South Africa’s leading epidemiologists and chairperson of the COVID-19 ministerial advisory committee, has predicted that the distribution of a vaccine any time before the end of 2021 is unlikely.

This from TimesLIVE:

Calling himself the “bearer of bad news”, Abdool Karim said South Africans needed  to start considering Covid-19 as a marathon and not a sprint…

He said it was becoming clear that SA would not have one peak, but multiple small peaks in each province — something he considered an advantage.

He added that the worst of the epidemic was only likely to dissipate in about October or November.

Buckle up, and face mask up – we’re in for the long haul.

[sources:news24&timeslive]