Zikalala concerned about Covid-19 complacency in KZN
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala says he is concerned about the levels of Covid-19 complacency in the province.
Zikalala says many people are no longer adhering to Covid-19 regulations.
He was briefed on the latest status of Covid-19 in the province on Sunday.
KZN continues to rank the second highest in terms of the number of laboratory-confirmed cases countrywide, contributing 21% of cases.
The province ranks the fourth highest in terms of fatalities countrywide after the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Western Cape.
“We have noted with a great sense of worry various forms of behaviour that indicate a high level of complacency when it comes to adherence to Covid-19 safety precautions,” said Zikalala.
“Far too many people seem to have lowered their guard. They’re no longer wearing their masks in public and many are carrying them for compliance, there’s no social distancing - let alone regular hand sanitizing or washing of hands with water and soap.”
Listen to Sihle Zikalala below:
Zikalala says even some shops are no longer adhering to the limited number of customers and the use of sanitisers.
“People are gathering in large groups, especially at restaurants, pubs, night clubs and taverns. Some shops are even allowing more people than required, while others seemingly don’t bother to have hand sanitizer at the door. The curfew times are also no longer being respected in some instances.
“We seem to be sliding back to the kind of complacency that consumed us towards the end of last year, just before the second waved came and ambushed us.
“We want to plead with our citizens to remember that: once beaten, twice shy. As it happened with the second wave; the third wave will not announce itself. Yes, the numbers may be low at the moment, but Covid-19 is still killing people,” he added.
By Sunday, the province had recorded 10 369 deaths since Covid-19 started.
“If we are to avoid the calamity that we saw in December and January, we must start today, and behave as though the third wave is already here.
It’s not enough to think that because you ‘know’ and ‘trust’ someone, then they are not infectious. It just doesn’t work like that,” said Zikalala.
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