Durban - Umgungundlovu District Municipality has embarked on a communication and information drive in an effort to push back the spread of Covid-19.
All seven of its local municipalities, including those servicing deep rural communities, are recording an upward trend in the number of cases being reported.
The CBD in Msunduzi, Swayimane in Umshwathi, Maqongqo in Mkhambathini, Impendle, Richmond, Mpofana and uMngeni are all areas that have sections that have become hot spots for the virus.
District mayor Thobekile Maphumulo and other stakeholders yesterday detailed possible interventions to curb the spread of the virus.
“As of today, our district has 11648 confirmed cases, 152 deaths and 6235 recoveries,” said Maphumulo.
She said the district would sanitise taxi ranks, distribute food parcels to needy families, and hand over JoJo tanks to impoverished families.
Maphumulo said they would improve communication campaigns through blitz outreach programmes, loudhailing through ward councillors and design communication specific to certain areas.
She said community members who had been infected had several options for self-isolation and treatment.
“The following hospitals are field hospitals: Royal Show Grounds, Richmond, and Dorris Goodwin Hospital. If people cannot self-isolate they can contact the Department of Health, which can refer them to the aforementioned hospitals,” she said.
Currently, there are 85 868 positive cases of Covid-19 that have been identified in KZN. There are 32 972 active cases with 51 972 recoveries and 1039 deaths.
KZN Health also reported that a 7-year-old boy had passed away from a Covid-related illness.
So far, at least four paediatric deaths have been reported.
The Mercury