KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala says the increase in the number of COVID-19 infections in the province is of great concern.
The daily mortality rate due to COVID-19 has been recorded at 13 deaths a day.
The government says the surge of COVID-19 infections is mainly due to super spreader events that took place across in the province.
So far, the province has registered 151 000 infections and over 3000 deaths.
The KwaZulu-Natal government has pleaded with tourists and visitors to avoid gatherings that have been identified as super-spreader events..
These including weddings, traditional ceremonies, and sporting activities, as they have proven to increase the transmission of the virus.
In a recent incident, seven nuns from the Roman Catholic Diocese in Marianhill succumbed to COVID-19 after attending a church function.
Now, a stern warning by officials to several sectors to adhere to the COVID-19 regulations and an appeal to the public to ensure they don’t flout the safety protocols.
Though beaches are open, the government says it will enforce stringent measures.
Sihle Zikalala says: “The number of infections are on the rise in the province and we plead with tourists and local to adhere to the regulations.”
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The Provincial Health Department has also dismissed claims that it’s not ready for the second wave.
Over 400 health care workers have been infected with 91 confirmed deaths.
The department says it has an allocation of three-thousand, three hundred and sixty-seven beds, with 147 dedicated to ICU beds.
It also has 700 ventilators and over 900 non-invasive ventilators.
Meanwhile, the local tourism sector is already forecasting a 62% decline in domestic tourism.
It’s projected that the local tourism sector will only recover in 2022. Ethekwini District has continued to record the highest number of new cases daily.
It contributes approximately half of the total laboratory-confirmed cases provincially.
