Covid-19: KZN premier believes the province is ready to move to Level 3

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala held a media briefing on the latest developments on the Covid-19 pandemic in the province on 17 May.

He said that more than 2.4 million people in the province have been screened for the virus and more than 59 000 have been tested. There have been 1 498 positive cases, of which about 60 per cent have recovered.

“We have managed to prepare more than 6 400 beds for isolation, quarantine, high care and ICU throughout the province with each district well represented in this regard. Our capacity to accommodate patients has increased and we are now confident that we are not going to be overwhelmed by the pandemic.

“The recoveries give us hope that Covid-19 can be defeated. With that being said, we continue to see an incline in terms of positive cases.” He highlighted that the province is working extremely hard to decrease the number of active cases.

He said that the majority of the cases in the province have been recorded in eThekweni and uMgungundlovu, which shows that the cases have primarily been urban-based. An increase of cases in the iLembe District Municipality shows that there was more local-to-local transmission. He highlighted that they will be monitoring these districts closely.

The province currently accounts for about 10 per cent of active cases. “Contact tracing, screening and testing will have to be a focus of each and every place, therefore accountability and oversight will have to be the responsibility of all of us.”

He highlighted that testing, screening and education programmes at public facilities will be key in determining the level within provincial districts. “We believe that the entire province should move to Level 3 and that we should act fast if we see a district where there are concerning trends.

“We have been reporting deaths daily and in some cases, there are two or more deaths. We have noted that a cluster of infections occurred in some workplaces, especially in retail shops, bakeries, companies and healthcare settings.”

Six districts in the province have not reported any new cases within the past 15 days.

Affected healthcare centres ready to reopen

Four nurses and a doctor from the Inanda C Community Health Centre tested positive for the virus and, as such, the province decided to close the centre so that it could be decontaminated. Employees will be able to return to work after a quarantine period and nearby health clinics have been alerted so that they can continue to treat patients from the area.

General Justice Gizenga Mpanza Regional Hospital will be opened from 18 May after it was temporarily closed after nine mothers and 42 staff members tested positive for the virus. “We also extend our gratitude to the personnel who had to be deployed outside these facilities to ensure our people continue to have access to primary healthcare services.”

Zikalala said that the province currently has adequate stock of personal protective equipment at every facility. “At this stage, we can confirm that we have no shortage of PPE. As a province, we have put in place a highly effective mechanism to monitor stock available and ensure adequate replenishment.”

He highlighted that food security has been the main focus during this period. “We have, to date, supported thousands of vulnerable families with food relief. We are also aware that the majority of our unemployed people in KwaZulu-Natal have applied for the unemployment support grant that will be made available for the next six months.”

‘KZN is ready for Level 3’

Zikalala said that the province is preparing for Level 3 lockdown. “Level 3 means more businesses and business sectors will be opened. There will also be the opening up of public transport but that will require we remain vigilant, focused and accountable.

“All people will still be expected to ensure they adhere to precautionary measures that have been put in place. That will include social distancing, even in public transport, washing of hands and sanitisation and the wearing of masks.”

He said that there are strong indications that all regions in the province may move to Level 3, however, this means that every person will have to comply with approaches to prevent the spread of the virus. “Level 3 comes with a lot of movement, including interprovincial travel.

“This means that rural areas, where most of our elders live, may start to be exposed to the virus. As we prepare to open the economy further, all businesses, government facilities and municipalities must have in place measures to prevent the spread of the virus and protect the people.”

Community buy-in is necessary

He added that everyone needs to work together to adhere to regulations. “This week we will inspect the readiness of all sectors to move to Level 3. We will need to ensure we manage the hotspots together.”

He highlighted that businesses must be able to prove that there will be social distancing and sanitisation. “We must drive a behavioural change in communities, people must know the manner in which we live and the manner in which we behave has to change.

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