KZN premier announces ‘Covid-19 storm’

THE Covid-19 storm has arrived and KZN is officially at the eye of the storm.

KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala told the media today (Sunday) that those who were in denial about Covid-19 can now see that it is here, it is real and it is deadly.

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The premier said many people are seeking medical treatment when it is too late.

‘We are concerned by the late presentation of Covid-19 patients to our healthcare facilities.

‘When we engage with doctors and nurses, we are given anecdotal evidence that seems to suggest that our people are relying a little too much on alternative treatments, and are only coming to our facilities when it is too late.

‘With Covid-19, as with every other ailment, time is of the essence.’

Zikalala urged people to isolate at government facilities rather than at home, assuring that there is still enough capacity.

‘This will help ensure that patients are well-monitored, and less likely to transmit the virus to others – unlike at home, where adhering to safety protocols may be a challenge.

‘We have 16 401 beds available in KZN, of which more than 3 000 are for isolation. We also decided that instead of building more quarantine sites, we should be able to hire buildings such as hotels, B&Bs, and lodges.’

Hotspots

Almost every district, suburb, and township in KZN appears to be affected by Covid-19.

‘We hereby announce that the surge is continuing, with eThekwini and uMgungundlovu districts recording more than half of the daily cases.

‘The province has contributed 27 percent of the new cases reported nationally and continues to be the fourth highest countrywide,’ said Zikalala.

‘A week ago, KZN had 40 045 positive cases, of which 2 574 were still active. We also had 2 758 new cases, and 11 055 recoveries.

‘As of Saturday, KZN had 60 602 positive cases, of which 38 667 were still active. The death toll sits at 614.

‘Our daily Covid-19 positive cases are nearing 4 000, as we observed that just yesterday (Saturday) alone we recorded 3 405 new cases.

‘This therefore means that in just one week, we have had 20 557 new cases, 198 new deaths and 10 196 additional recoveries. The total recoveries stands at 21 251,’ said Zikalala.

Distribution of cases

Of the 3 405 new cases recorded on 25 July, eThekwini District has recorded 53 percent followed by uMgungundlovu (9 percent).

‘uMgungundlovu District remains the second highest with Covid-19 cases provincially, followed by King Cetshwayo and Amajuba.

King Cetshwayo District, the third highest after overtaking Ilembe, has been reporting a median of 126 cases since the beginning of July. The district is also the third highest in deaths provincially.

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