Map of the month

For those who live in long term care facilities the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been particularly devastating. For the September Map of the Month we explore the impacts on long term care facilities in Gauteng by mapping the known cases in retirement villages, rehabilitation centres and specialised facilities for people with mental and physical disabilities.

This story map draws on the infection data from the Gauteng Department of Health (6 March - 7 August 2020) and GCRO’s March 2020 COVID-19 vulnerability indices based on Quality of Life V (2017/18) survey data, to understand the ways in which women may be more vulnerable than men to COVID-19. We also explore some of the implications for this gender bias in the number of positive cases.

The July 2020 Map of the month uses nighttime satellite data to see whether night light intensity across the Gauteng City-Region reflects the impact of lockdown. We looked at how light intensity changed from before lockdown (March 2020) to lockdown level 5 (April 2020) and then between level 5 nightlight brightness (April 2020) and level 4 brightness (May 2020).

As we come to grips with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, urban population density is being examined critically by urban scholars and policy makers. Building on the April 2020 Map of the Month, this month's map tackles the density debate with a 3D population density representation of Gauteng, as well as an interactive visualisation, to explore the feasibility of proposed de-densification in the context of COVID-19.

April 2020 marks the 100th edition in the GCRO’s Map of the Month series. This month's map revisits population density, which has been a recurring theme in the series. It uses a simple technique to show how half of Gauteng's population lives on just 2% of the Province's land.