South Africa has deployed army doctors to COVID in Gauteng province Coronavirus pandemic News

The country has entered the third round and the number of new cases has doubled in the last two weeks.

South Africa’s military staff is expanding to its busiest shopping center and province to help health workers experience the rise of coronavirus, the government said on Friday.

South Africa, the worst-hit country on the continent, has entered a third COVID wave, with new daily cases doubling in the past two weeks.

Gauteng province – the administrative capital of Pretoria and the financial center of Johannesburg – is the current epicenter of the outbreak, with about 60% of the day’s last rise.

“We have called for additional capacity in terms of Gautengi’s military assistance,” Mmamolo’s acting Kubayi-Ngubane Health Minister said in a virtual press release on Friday.

He said implementation will begin “from today”.

The military will provide support to health workers and help with community testing and follow-up contact.

Daily infections rose 13,246 on Wednesday, the highest in five months. Hospitalizations have increased by almost 60% in the last two weeks.

To date, the country has registered more than 1.7 million cases, of which at least 58,323 have been killed.

President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier in the week tightened the restrictions somewhat to reduce the spread of infections and ease the pressure on hospitals.

A third wave of infection has occurred as South Africa is working to expand its vaccination program.

Only about two million shots have been fired since February. The government’s stated goal is to fully integrate at least 40 million people by the end of 2022.

The inoculation has so far only been open to health workers and those over 60, although teachers, police and the military will receive the first months this month.

More than 70,000 military troops were deployed last year to help enforce strict blockade measures at the start of the South African coronavirus outbreak.

The soldiers returned to the October barracks.