This is how KZN has prepared to move to lockdown level 3 at month end

KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala is positive that the province is ready to move to lockdown level 3.

This comes after the province's Covid-19 recoveries tipped the 800 mark.

To date, KwaZulu-Natal has had 165 confirmed cases with 46 deaths and 842 recoveries.

On Wednesday, Zikalala told Power 98.7 that all of the province's 11 districts are ready to move to level 3 at the end of the month.

Economic activity

Zikalala said the province has an awareness campaign that will better educate people about the virus.

He said under level 3 of the lockdown, it will not be business as usual.

“We are ready to open up economic activity. We have put all systems in place and we are running an educational and awareness campaign to ensure that people understand and remain conscious of the need to prevent the spread of the virus,” he said.

Preparedness

The premier said the province engaged and agreed with the private sector that measures to prevent infections will be put in place once businesses open.

“We have facilities on standby in all 11 districts which are on 24-hour call. When we see that the numbers of infections are escalating we will activate them and be able to accommodate people.”

Guidelines 

TimesLIVE reported that various guidelines have also been put in place, which Zikalala said everyone will have to comply with to prevent infections.

These include wearing a mask when out in public  and an examination of high-risk regions in terms of the risk and vulnerability analysis in the province.

He added that all businesses and government and municipal facilities will be sanitised and there must be proof that social distancing can occur in the place of work and in public spaces.

Monitoring hotspots

In a statement shared with the public, Zikalala said there would be continued monitoring of all identified hotspots.

“We will need to manage the hotspots together and the whole government, civil society and business approach in this province is through Sukuma Sakhe, which we have integrated into the district development model.”

He said level 3 hotspots will be in particular areas, wards, local municipalities and districts.

“The war rooms and task teams will have to drive the behaviour change of communities. Contact tracing, screening and testing will have to be focused but people must hold each other accountable,"  Zikalala said.