eThekwini could face stricter lockdown regulations – KZN premier

eThekwini may face intensified lockdown measures while the rest of the country moves to Level 4, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala announced on Sunday.

On Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a risk-adjusted strategy, which will see the country downgrading to Level 4 from 1 May.

Level 4 makes provision for limited economic activity and also allows for some movement. A curfew from 8pm to 5am will kick in, it will be mandatory to wear a cloth face mask when you leave your home, and hot foods will be available – for delivery only.

However, the buying and selling of alcohol are still prohibited.

“If we were to use the National Risk-Adjusted Strategy guideline, as things stand, it looks like eThekwini will still remain under stricter lockdown regulations compared to other districts – unless there is a drastic change in the coming days,” said Zikalala.

There are currently 579 cases in eThekwini, compared to the 383 cases in the area last Sunday.

Most of the new cases in the KZN province – over 10 a day – are being registered in eThekwini.

“In fact, there is not a single day that eThekwini does not report new cases – unlike other districts, which can go on for days without having new cases,” said Zikalala.

Since 22 April, of the 44 new cases reported, 19 were from eThekwini.

As of Saturday, KZN had 846 confirmed cases, 29 deaths, and 241 recoveries. The province had, up to this point, contributed nearly 21% of new cases in the country, according to Zikalala.

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