KZN Provincial Government welcomes first signs of victory in the battle against Covid-19
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has welcomed the news that two of the first people exposed to the Coronavirus in South Africa have been given the all clear and are already home.
Premier Zikalala said this on the sidelines of the first meeting of the Provincial Command Team (PCT) which is tasked with providing a KZN comprehensive response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Provincial Command Team is the highest level intervention structure coordinated by Premier Sihle Zikalala and comprising of MECs, HODs and key stakeholders including Correctional Services and South African Police Services.
Premier Zikalala said the news of the speedy recovery of the two patients signalled hope amid the despair and gloom sparked by the spread of Covid-19 in the country.
“This development (the recuperation of the first two patients) inspires hope in line with KZN's Coronavirus battle mantra “Siyayinqoba (We will conquer) the Coronavirus pandemic". This is very important as it dispels fear among our people and confirms that Coronavirus is curable through early medical intervention and through people heeding precautions laid out by government,” said Premier Zikalala.
KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu also expressed satisfaction at the news citing the capability and professionalism in the public healthcare system to deal with major outbreaks such as the Coronavirus.
“This is a serious test of our readiness to roll-out the National Health Insurance” said MEC Simelane-Zulu.
The Provincial Command Team was assembled this week following President Cyril Ramaphosa declaring a State of Disaster in the wake of the Covid 19 pandemic.
Today MECs who are leading vrious clusters including the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube; MEC for Human Settlement and Public Works, Neliswa Nkonyeni; MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Bheki Ntuli; MEC for Finance, Ravi Pillay and Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, presented updates on measures to curb the spread of the pandemic in the province.
During the meeting, Premier Zikalala also announced an intensive ground mobilisation programme.
This programme entails all MECs visiting various districts to lead education and awareness programmes and to conduct on-the-ground assessments of readiness and the availability of required infrastructure in all districts in a bid to combat the spread of the virus.
The programme kicks off on Wednesday the 25th of March.
The provincial plan also includes an assessment of readiness and capacity in every district of the province to respond to and to accommodate the prospects of dealing with increasing levels of infection.
The KZN Government is going all out to mitigate further infections. The intensification of the public education, awareness and education campaign will go a long way towards fighting the stigma and ensuring that people are fully informed about how to protect themselves against the spread of the virus.
For more information please contact:
Lennox Mabaso
Cell: 082 884 2403
