Durban - IT SEEMS the concerns health experts had about a potential spike in Covid-19 cases in KwaZulu-Natal, as a result of the unrest that took place in the province, may be coming to realisation.
The number of daily Covid-19 cases continues to increase in the province. In the past 24 hours, the province recorded more than 2 400 new cases; the highest since January.
The average number of cases recorded in the past seven days have also increased since July 20, 2021 – from 717 to 1 800 cases a day.
Dr Ridhwaan Suliman, a senior researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, said the increase of daily infections was expected as the province had been on an increase for several weeks.
“Infections are certainly on the rise in KwaZulu-Natal, as they are in other coastal provinces. The province’s epidemiological trajectory is about 3 to 5 weeks behind Gauteng, so the increase is expected but it's difficult to say if it's because of the looting and unrest, but certainly it has had an effect on what we are seeing,” said Suliman.
KZN ranks the fourth-highest province in terms of fatalities countrywide, following the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and the Western Cape. KZN contributes 16% of the total number of deaths.
The number of hospitalisations in the private and public sector is also increasing – 1 879 people are admitted, 257 are in ICU and 102 on life support.
More than 1.5 million Covid-19 vaccinations have been administered at the 193 private and public sites in the province.