Durban - KwaZulu-Natal recorded more than 5 000 new Covid-19 cases at the weekend with 2 005 more new cases confirmed on Monday. This means that in four days, KZN recorded 7 185 new Covid-19 cases.
According to statistics from the KZN Department of Health, on Friday, KZN recorded 1 668 cases while 1 899 and 1 613 cases were reported on Saturday and Sunday.
This brings the province's cumulative caseload to 141 372 with 13 813 active cases and 3 462 deaths.
KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu said the resurgence of the virus should be a turning point that galvanised society to work together to arrest the spread of the virus.
"Where we find ourselves now need not amount to a second wave of panic, which helps no one and instead sows fear, stigmatisation and the discrimination of staff and patients from those affected facilities," she said.
The MEC said KZN was among the four provinces that were driving the spread of the virus along with the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng.
Simelane-Zulu further confirmed that two of Durban's bigger state facilities, Addington Hospital and RK Khan Hospital, had seen a significant rise in cases, especially among nurses, doctors and hospital staff.
At Addington Hospital, 38 staff members had tested positive for Covid-19 since the beginning of the month.
"This includes five doctors, 11 nursing staff, one allied worker, and 21 support staff members.
Addington Hospital continues to function, and is accepting all walk-in patients. Only those picked up by ambulances were being diverted to Prince Mshiyeni Memorial and King Edward VIII hospitals.
At RK Khan Hospital, the number of staff who had tested positive was 23 – seven nurses, 10 doctors, two radiologists, three clerks and one general orderly.
Contrary to unfounded reports, RK Khan Hospital was open and rendering health-care services, while following strict Covid-19 infection prevention and control protocols, Simelane-Zulu said.
IOL