eThekwini and some areas of KwaZulu-Natal are likely to remain on full lockdown as provincial authorities are worried about the increasing number of new infections and deaths.

Durban registers more than ten new cases every day.

eThekwini remains KwaZulu-Natal’s epicentre with the highest infections and COVID-19 death.

It doesn’t look like the province’s economic hub will be moving to Level 4 of the lockdown anytime soon.

KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala said as things stand, it looks like eThekwini will still remain under stricter lockdown regulations compared to other districts "unless there is a drastic change in the coming days”.

 Authorities want an evidence-based explanation for why KwaZulu-Natal is registering more deaths than other provinces that have a higher number of infections.

“Our initial suspicion is that there may be a problem with the management of these cases, particularly in the private sector. We have therefore instituted an investigation through the Department of Health. This investigation must tell us whether the reason for this is due to medical reasons or negligence,” he said.

Zikalala raised another concern, that the confirmed cases of healthcare workers infected with the virus is rising despite reportedly having access to personal protective equipment.

"It would appear that we probably need to further capacitate our healthcare workers in the correct use of PPE," he said.

Provincial authorities hope a contingent of Cuban doctors who arrived in South Africa on Monday morning will be deployed to KwaZulu-Natal to help fight the spread of COVID-19.

eNCA