Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize says KwaZulu-Natal is currently experiencing the coronavirus pandemic peak. He was speaking at the Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg.
Mkhize says the peak is expected to last a bit long in the province as it has a large population. He visited the hospital after reports that patients were being treated in a makeshift facility.
According to StatsSA, KwaZulu-Natal has an estimated 11.3 million living in this province.
Mkhize says the province will begin to see a decline sometime later.
“That rise is the fact it will go on until it reaches a tipping point where it starts slowing down. It maybe still there in KZN and it will be slowed in KZN, we might be through that. When we say the storm is coming, we got into the storm with the Western Cape and it went province by province. The last province to have large numbers is KZN. We are going to see a proper decline when you look back three or 2 weeks later. We will then say for sure it is now gone down,” says Mkhize.
It’s really all upto us as South Africans to turn this situation around. We end our visit to KZN, I am convinced the province is ready. The preparation of beds etc. is in place. Where there are weaknesses we need quick action and responsiveness. #KZNVisit pic.twitter.com/o0LExsxeTa
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) August 8, 2020
Meanwhile, Mkhize says he is now satisfied about the condition of the new screening area at the Northdale Hospital.
“If a patient says to you this is not suitable then a professional should have found that out immediately. I don’t think there is much explanation that is needed here. This is not how we will be treating patients. But look mistakes happen I don’t have a problem and don’t have any problems with that but you have to go there and deal with it,” says Mkhize.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize visits Northdale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg
As of 7 August, South Africa’s cumulative number of COVID-19 cases are 545 476. The pandemic has to date claimed 9 909 lives.
The number of recoveries currently stands at 394 759 which translates to a recovery rate of 72%.
Below are the COVID-19 stats for South Africa as of 7 August 2020:
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