South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has been identified as the province which could experience an anticipated surge in COVID-19 infections as the nation’s total number of cases approaches 400,000.
Health minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize made the revelation during a tour of health facilities in Gauteng province, South Africa’s worst-affected province.
Mkhize said the government expected the numbers in KwaZulu-Natal to increase and result in the province having the second highest numbers after Gauteng.
“In the country, Gauteng is still at the top of the rate of infections. KZN is taking over now and, therefore, we are going to be discussing with them how to move ahead so that they do not get caught up with the numbers,” Mkhize said.
KZN has reported more than 4,900 confirmed cases in the two days since Mkhize spoke, the second highest rise only behind Gauteng.
As of July 22, KwaZulu-Natal has the fourth highest number of infections with 50,521 while Gauteng has the highest number with 144,582 followed by Western Cape (87,847) and Eastern Cape (67,818). KZN also has the fourth highest numbers of deaths and recoveries in the country.
Mkhize said that the government was working to ensure that health facilities in the province would not encounter challenges with beds and oxygen in anticipation of the spike.
Mkhize added that they were also addressing the issue of eliminating shortages of beds such that nobody was turned away from a health facility on that basis.
“There are those who may not be admitted just because of the doctor’s decision. When the doctors decide we do not admit the patient, that is it, that patient will not be admitted. It should not necessarily be because there is no space, it will be because the clinical judgment is that you are going to be treated somewhere else, not in the hospital,” he said.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation on Thursday on developments in South Africa’s risk-adjusted strategy to manage the spread of COVID-19.
