Durban - On March 5 last year, a Hilton resident in northern KZN was the first person in South Africa to test positive for Covid-19.
A year later, KwaZulu Natal has claimed the number one spot with the most active Covid-19 cases, recording 9 479 in the past 24 hours.
KZN also remains among the top three provinces for lives lost in the pandemic, data from the Department of Health has revealed.
On March 30, KZN recorded its first Covid-19 related death– a 74-year-old man from Ladysmith died after testing positive three days earlier.
So far, 9 715 people have have died from Covid-19 in KZN, with 17 new deaths recorded in the past 24 hours.
A total of 50 462 South Africans died from the virus.
SA has recorded just over 1.5 million cases, 329 909 of them from KZN.
A total of 310 715 people have recovered.
Earlier on Friday, the Minister of Health Dr Zwelini Mkhize and KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala were at Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg where the first patient with Covid-19 was admitted.
They commemorated the year and lit candles in memory of those who lost their fight with Covid-19.
KZN has lost many community and political leaders in the past year.
Next month will mark a year since South African scientist Gita Ramjee died from Covid-19 complications.
Ramjee, was the chief scientific officer for the Aurum Institute, and was world renowned for her tireless work to find HIV prevention solutions for women.
In January this year, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Bheki Ntuli also died from Covid-19.
Founder of Anti-drug Forum SA Sam Pillay and his wife Indrani died weeks apart in hospital from Covid.
Prominent Durban doctor Arthi Ramkissoon died of Covid-19.
She was the founder and executive director of Maternal, Adolescent & Child Health and was the chief executive of the KZN Children’s Hospital Trust.
IOL