A doctor in protective gear prepares her equipment before testing a patient for Covid-19.

• As of 3 July, 2 232 patients in Gauteng have been hospitalised due to Covid-19.
• As of 1 July, there were 644 patients in ICU and high care wards in Gauteng.
• To date, Gauteng has recorded a total of 54 311 confirmed cases of Covid-19. 

As Covid-19 cases continue to increase in Gauteng, as of 3 July, a total of 2 232 patients are currently hospitalised in both private and public facilities in the province.

In the province’s daily breakdown of the Covid-19 numbers on Friday, Gauteng had a total of 54 331 confirmed cases of the virus.

Of the total confirmed cases, there have been 15 935 recoveries and 282 deaths.

According to the Gauteng provincial coronavirus command council, as of 1 July, there were 644 patients in intensive care units (ICU) or high care units in public and private hospitals in Gauteng.

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The report further said that 151 of those patients are currently ventilated, while a further 493 patients are on oxygen.

Cumulatively, 4 455 patients were admitted to Gauteng hospitals for Covid-19 since the pandemic reached South Africa’s shores.

On Thursday, News24 reported that Gauteng’s command council said there were 8 301 beds available specifically for Covid-19 patients in private and public hospitals.

The 8 301 available beds include paediatric beds, ICU/high care beds, and general beds.

Additional beds are also being created in public hospitals in the province. 

A total of 1 575 beds, which will include 900 intensive care unit beds, are expected to be ready by the end of July.

Of the number of confirmed cases of the virus in Gauteng, 26 293 cases have been recorded in Johannesburg, 11 827 in Ekurhuleni and 8 662 in Tshwane.

READ | Covid-19: ‘It’ll be overcrowded in hospitals’ – Gauteng MEC predicts 300 000 cases by end of August

In Sedibeng, there were 2 154 cases of the virus, while 3 379 cases have been confirmed in the West Rand.

A total of 2 016 cases have not yet been allocated.

Western Cape

Meanwhile, in the Western Cape, another province severely affected by the virus, as of 4 July, a total of 1 887 patients have been hospitalised.

Of the total number of patients currently hospitalised for Covid-19, 328 are in ICU and high care wards.

The Western Cape, which is the worst-affected province to date, has a total of 67 351 confirmed cases of the virus, as of Saturday.

Of these cases, the province has recorded 49 362 recoveries and 2 014 deaths.

Of the number of confirmed cases of the virus in the Western Cape, 48 096 have been recorded in Cape Town.