The provincial government cautioned against mass gatherings this festive period and is urging event organisers to be cautious.

On Friday, South Africans were informed of the new COVID-19 variant which was found to be dominant in cases seen in the Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape, the Garden Route District in the Western Cape, several areas in KwaZulu-Natal and has quickly found its way to Gauteng.

The Gauteng government warned against organising or attending festivals, sporting events and other mass gatherings.

So far, the province recorded more than 252,000 cases of coronavirus and over 5,000 deaths.

According to the National Health Department, Gauteng is one of the provinces hardest hit by the COVID-19 second wave, and this is likely to get worse over the festive period.

Chairperson of the South African Medical Association, Dr Angelique Coetzee, said the recently discovered 501.v2 variant is responsible for the current wave and appears to be spreading quickly with higher viral loads.

“The first strain is still around but this strain took over so it means we see more people sicker and more people being admitted because it spreads much faster.

Coetzee said the variant which left scientists stunned revealed more mutations in its genetic material which she compares to a black sheep of the family of coronavirus pathogens.

With South Africa edging closer to one million coronavirus infections, Coetzee said Gauteng residents should take extra precautionary measures.

Eyewitness News