KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala has denied that the province is in the third wave of Covid-19 infections.
Zikalala addressed the media on Sunday, saying the provincial government is closely monitoring the Covid-19 trends and that a surge in cases would trigger an emergency warning.
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‘In terms of our emergency early warning systems, a 10 per cent increase in cases over a seven day moving average would trigger an alert, while a 20 per cent increase would trigger a resurgence which may indicate we are entering a third wave of infections.
‘So we continue to monitor trends and signals of a resurgence in the province.
‘Our focus is on identifying clusters and conducting targeted testing in the affected areas; identifying and strengthening contact tracing, and intensifying our risk communication drive with an emphasis on non-pharmaceutical interventions.’
The strategy to deal with the potential third wave stands on the following pillars:
• Testing all Covid-19 suspected cases and their contacts
• Isolation of confirmed cases
• Monitoring of those who are self-isolating
• Tracing all contacts of the confirmed cases
• Dedicating beds for quarantine (PUIs), isolation and ICU
• Ensuring oxygen availability
• Accelerating vaccinations
Zikalala said that so far, a total of 360 451 people in the province have been vaccinated.
‘This is made up of 237 195 senior citizens aged 60 and above, and 123 256 healthcare workers.
‘The Department of Health will be opening a further 21 new vaccination sites this week to accommodate teachers, who will be getting vaccinated from 9 June.
‘We will be receiving 110 400 J&J vaccines for this category.
‘We already have a database for these teachers, which should make their vaccination easier.
‘Furthermore, they will be guided by management in their respective districts and circuits, regarding which sites to go to, to get vaccinated.
‘Some districts will open new sites where sites don’t already exist, while others will have to designate their existing sites accordingly, to accommodate the teachers.
We’re also exploring the possibility of opening these vaccination sites on weekends because teachers work Monday to Friday.’
The premier added that the Covid-19 infection rate at schools around the province was concerning, with some schools having reported high numbers of infections within the space of a few days.
‘For example, on Friday, one school under Umzinyathi District reported 16 positive cases among learners.
‘Another school under Uthukela District reported 15 positive cases among learners.
‘The Department of Education will continue to implement Covid-19 protocols, and provide necessary PPE and other forms of support.’
Over the weekend, KZN recorded 227 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases to 340 586.
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