Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize.
- While Gauteng leads with the rate of infections in the country, KwaZulu-Natal is taking over.
- According to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, the department is at a point where it must stay ahead of the surge.
- KZN has recorded just over 40 000 cases of Covid-19.
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says that while Gauteng remains at the top in terms of the rate of infections in the country, KwaZulu-Natal is taking over.
“We are watching and looking at the trends and certainly I think in the country, Gauteng is really at the top of the rate of infection [but] KZN is taking over now,” Mkhize said at a visit to Nasrec in Johannesburg on Monday.
As a result, the department was looking at ways of moving forward in KwaZulu-Natal, he said.
Caught up
“KZN is taking over now and therefore we are going to be discussing with them how to move ahead so that they do not get caught up with the numbers.”
Mkhize said it would be possible for the department to make sure that whichever patients were admitted, the province would not have a challenge with beds or oxygen “and that the turn around times also are reduced”.
The minister added that the department was now in a situation where it must stay ahead of the surge.
READ: Zikalala reveals 25 people at KwaZulu-Natal wedding infected, some ‘occupying Covid-19 beds
KwaZulu-Natal has 43 215 cases, the third highest in South Africa, therefore contributing 11.9% of the country’s burden of the virus, according to Sunday’s figures.
In addition, the province had so far recorded 11 055 recoveries and 416 deaths.
Premier Sihle Zikalala previously said that the province’s rising numbers were worrying.
READ | Trauma cases drop in KZN since booze ban, says Zikalala
“The medical and scientific team had projected the province to be at more than 200 000 patients by mid-July. We are currently sitting above 23 000 confirmed laboratory cases.”This says we are behind the projected figures… The rise in infections is, however, worrying us,” he said in an earlier report.
Zikalala further stated at the time, that the province was recording more than 1 000 cases daily.
In addition, eThekwini and its neighbouring district, uMgungundlovu, accounted for 60% of the cases recorded daily.
