DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala said just under 1280 health-care workers had already been vaccinated with the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine since the start of the roll-out in the province last week.
Zikalala was speaking during a provincial Covid-19 update yesterday.
He noted that none of the health workers who received the vaccine had suffered complications
“These workers have reported a renewed sense of positivity, confidence and feeling more protected against Covid-19.”
Zikalala said this was a major psychological boost amid the fear and anxiety they had experienced while relying only on non-pharmaceutical preventative measures.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Zikalala said more than 15 800 workers, of which 55% were health-care workers, had been infected in the public sector. And 335 had died.
Zikalala cautioned that while the second wave was subsiding, the public should remember there was a possibility of a third wave.
“Now is not the time to drop our guards or be complacent. Covid-19 is still here and it is deadly.”
Breaking the Covid-19 figures down further in KZN, Zikalala said as at February 20, KZN recorded 313 new Covid-19 cases.
EThekwini district recorded 33% of these cases followed by uMgungundlovu at 17% and UThukela at 12% among others.
He said KZN had the second highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country contributing 326 703 (22% of the total number of cases).
However, Zikalala said KZN continued to see a decline in the number of new cases weekly.
The premier said the overall proportion of recoveries in the province was 93%.
More than 1500 people were admitted to both public and private hospitals as at February 19, with more than 1100 in private facilities and more than 360 in public facilities.
Zikalala said of those admitted, 278 required intensive care services with private hospitals caring for more people in the ICU.
The Mercury