Publications
Partners
- KwaZulu-Natal officials are calling on the youth to get their Covid-19 vaccinations.
- This as a high number of children below the age of 14 test positive for Covid-19.
- The province has seen a decline in vaccination numbers among the youth.
KwaZulu-Natal authorities are calling on younger people to come forward for their Covid-19 vaccinations amid a steep rise in Covid-19 infections in the province.
On Tuesday, Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane expressed concern about emerging scientific reports that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus causes more severe illness among people in younger age groups.
At a media briefing on Tuesday, Simelane said they were particularly worried about the increase in the number of children who are testing positive for Covid-19.
"There is a remarkable number of children below 14 years in the new cases that we have registered from the past week or so," Simelane said.
On Sunday, KZN overtook Gauteng as the Covid-19 hotspot in South Africa.
The province recorded more than 4 000 new infections on Sunday, surpassing Gauteng, which was the hotspot since the start of the fourth wave earlier this month.
According to MEC Nomagugu Simelane, KZN overtook the Gauteng province two days ago, and became the province with the highest rate of infections. @News24 (@CebohNyambose)
— Team News24 (@TeamNews24) December 21, 2021
Simelane said the KZN government would intensify vaccination efforts in townships and rural areas to get more people to take the jab.
"In terms of deaths, we have not seen a high number, but in the few that we have recorded, all age groups are affected, from four months upwards."
She added that this was yet another reason for parents to ensure that children aged 12 to 17 were vaccinated.
During the seven-day period under review, the province lost 42 people due to Covid-19, increasing the death toll since the start of the pandemic to 14 868.
READ | Covid-19: Authorities concerned about the rise in KZN cases as holidaymakers flock in
The MEC said she was concerned about declining vaccination numbers in the province.
"Instead of growing, our vaccination numbers have actually dropped in recent weeks. We've moved from around 20 000 vaccinations per week day to less than 10 000," she said.
KZN has vaccinated 2 735 million people, but 4 484 million people remain unvaccinated.
"We've also noticed that from a racial perspective, black Africans have not been coming forward in large enough numbers, when compared with people from other race groups," Simelane added.
"That is why we are intensifying our vaccination efforts in townships and rural areas."
In a bid to intensify vaccinations during the holiday season, the province has arranged pop-up vaccination sites at the beaches.
Simelane also encouraged road users to adhere to the speed limit, to keep their vehicles roadworthy and to refrain from drunk driving and overloading.
"By extension, this will lessen the burden on our healthcare system, including our healthcare professionals who have had their hands full since the emergence of Covid-19."
Never miss a story. Choose from our range of newsletters to get the news you want delivered straight to your inbox.
