SANDF boots on the ground in Gauteng by Wednesday
Sixty members of the South African Defence Force (SANDF) military health services are expected to be on the ground by Wednesday.
The deployment of military personnel in the province comes in the wake of a massive spike in Covid-19 numbers.
Brigadier-General Mafi Mgobhozi says the health personnel will include military medical officers, nurses and Operational Emergency Care Practitioners drawn from the South African Military Health Services.
“At the present moment no member of the SANDF has been deployed. We had a meeting yesterday with the Department of Health and in Gauteng province where we ironed out certain issues. So far I can say that in the afternoon today or tomorrow, we will be able to deploy our members.”
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Currently, Gauteng accounts for close to 70% of new infections across the country.
Statistics released by the Health Department on Tuesday show that close to a quarter of people who tested for Covid-19 in the 24 hours leading to Monday, tested positive for Covid-19.
The rising statistics have prompted Premier David Makhura to meet with the provincial command council to look at possible ways of tightening lockdown regulations in the province.
