Premier Sihle Zikala briefed the media a short while ago. He cautions residents to follow the rules, now more than ever
"We woke up to the sad reality that our Province has overtaken the Western Cape in terms of the Coronavirus infections. And this has jolted us to sound a clarion call to all the people of this province that if there was time for them to play their part in the fight to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is now more than ever before."
Upsurge of Coronavirus case in the province
This week, our Province surpassed the 100 000 mark in terms of Covid-19 cases, and has registered more than 1500 deaths. As of today, KwaZulu-Natal has had 100 494 Civid-19 cases, with 42 213 of those still active.
Sadly, we have lost 1523 people to this epidemic, while a total of 56 758 have recovered. What is even more worrying is that our Province has been reporting the highest rate of new infections in the country since the beginning of August, despite all our efforts to flatten the curve against the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
These worrying figures call for each and every one of us to play their part now. We want to sound alarm bells that we are now right in the storm and on the verge of becoming the epicentre of this deadly pandemic.
This literally means many more people are getting infected, and many more may die – if we don’t change our behaviour.
We would like to appeal to every citizen, stakeholder, and community leader to play their part in order to flatten the curve of the Coronavirus epidemic, as Government has done enough and the fight now requires everybody to come to the party.
It is now up to us to play our part
It is now up to us to do our utmost to limit the impact and devastation of the storm by the way we conduct ourselves and behave as citizens of this province.
We have noticed, worryingly, that people are now lowering their guard; and we would like to warn against doing so as we enter this phase of increasing numbers of infections in our Province.
Every province in our country is now a hotspot for this epidemic – KwaZulu-Natal is not an exception.
But what is more concerning is that in some parts of our Province we have noticed that many people are frequenting places of entertainment, car washes and shisanyamas; where they gather in groups, which poses a serious risk in the spread of this pandemic.
This is happening despite the fact that the Coronavirus pandemic is already hitting our families and communities very hard.
As Government we can do much to prevent the spread of this virus, but it now firmly in our hands to prevent the spread through responsible behaviour, such as always maintaining social distancing and wearing masks at all times when we are in public areas.
The benefits of early presentation to healthcare facilities; and being quarantined or isolated at a health facility than at home
We wish to reiterate the sentiments expressed by the Minister last week… and call upon our fellow compatriots not to sit at home, but rather come forward if they suspect that they might have contracted Covid-19.
Elderly people and those with co-morbidities are at higher risk of being hit harder by the epidemic.
So, if you notice any symptoms of Covid-19, please do not to delay. Reach out to a healthcare facility so that they can be screened and tested as soon as possible. These symptoms may include fever, dry cough, tiredness, or loss of smell or taste, among others.
It is much better and safer to be quarantined or isolated at a Government facility than at home because, should Covid –related complications set in, help will be close by.
Government has worked hard to create thousands of beds for quarantine and isolation. There is still a lot of space available. For more information on how to access these beds, please visit the official website of the KZN Department of Health www.kznhealth.gov.za or their official Facebook page, which is KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health.
Concern about people not wearing masks
We have noted with serious concern that some people still continue to venture out in public without wearing face masks despite this being declared a criminal offense in terms of the regulations of the lockdown.
It is worrying and deeply concerning that there are people who disregard the rules and regulations of the national lockdown in this fashion. We are deeply concerned about this irresponsible and reprehensible behavior.
Although we are pleased that many people have survived after being infected by the Covid-19 virus, we are appealing to all our people to not sit on their laurels; but to continue following guidelines such as wearing masks in public at all times, washing their hands regularly with soap and water or sanitize their hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizers; and to maintain social distancing.
We also appeal to public transport authorities to ensure that taxis, buses and trains are sanitized to protect passengers from being infected by this virus.
Conclusion
Let us change the way we behave because, it really is now in our hands to conquer this pandemic. Let us not compromise our families and those we love because of our irresponsible behaviour.
As the Provincial Government, we want to make an earnest appeal to all the pew people of this province to assist us in this fight against the pandemic by adhering to all protocols and regulations, as this is the only way that we can defeat this enemy.
I thank you!
