KZN residents urged to visit a hospital immediately when experiencing COVID-19 symptoms

The KwaZulu Natal government has urged residents to go to hospital as soon as they experience COVID-19 symptoms, this as the province continues to rank first in the country in terms of the number of active cases and fourth highest countrywide in terms of fatalities.

The infection rate continues to increase in several districts which include eThekwini, uMgungundlovu and uThukela. Over the last seven days, the province has recorded 29 147 new infections.

Premier Sihle Zikalala urged people, who have recovered from COVID-19, not to think they will not get re-infected.

Zikalala says, “There are dangerous in that they create a false sense of security that implies that when people recover from COVID-19 they will not contract the virus again that is very reckless because there is a growing body of evidence and scientific evidence that proves that it is possible to get re-infected.”

KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala briefs media:

He also says the Provincial Coronavirus Command Council (PCCC) will announce a roll-out plan for the COVID-19 vaccine this coming week.

“We are putting in place a plan that will ensure that we roll-out vaccines faster when they become available. Our starting point is education and awareness and debunking the myth that unfortunately surrounds the vaccine because for us this will be an important race to save lives. We are increasing our testing and screening capabilities and we are working on vaccination sites in all the districts of our province ensuring that they are in a good state of readiness,” says Zikalala.

The KwaZulu-Natal government says provincial hospitals are not yet full, but the numbers are increasing and the number of people succumbing to COVID-19 has also increased.

KZN Health MEC, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu says they have seen a trend of a growing number of people, who go to hospital when they are too ill.

Simelane-Zulu says, “We found that in the past few days those that are presenting at our facilities they present with extremely low oxygen stats in the body and once we have very low oxygen within your system it becomes extremely difficult to pull it up. Some actually make it but some don’t.”

Zikalala has urged people to continue to be vigilant.

Story by: Nonhlakanipho Magwaza