Speaking to Talk Radio 702 morning host Bongani Bingwa on Tuesday, Mkhize said things were "getting tough".

"I wish I could say otherwise. We have warned that the surge will come, [especially] in the winter months. I'm afraid the numbers are increasing and we need people to be aware and take all the necessary precautions to try and protect ourselves."

Mkhize said the infection rate in Gauteng, in particular, had increased faster than had been anticipated.

He added that the so-called "hard lockdown" – Level 5 – had helped prepare the healthcare sector for the anticipated surge in infections.

While he acknowledged that government could not extend the hard lockdown longer than it did, "we may still do it in the future".

News24