With the Easter weekend less than a month away, the department of health in KwaZulu-Natal has partnered with religious leaders across the province to create awareness about the coronavirus.“Mainline religious leaders from all over the province agreed to partner with the department and help disseminate crucial messages about Covid-19. This messaging will focus on how the virus can be prevented, what its symptoms are, and what those who exhibit these symptoms need to do to get help,” MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu said in a statement.

Simelane-Zulu met church leaders in a bid to create awareness about the novel coronavirus. She urged worshippers to maintain proper hygiene and said church leaders made a commitment to spread the message to their congregants to take precautionary measures during the upcoming Easter weekend and beyond“This includes maintaining social distancing for those who will be sleeping in tents, classrooms or community halls; and following good personal hygiene such as covering the nose and mouth with the elbow when coughing or sneezing, regular handwashing with an alcohol-based hand sanitiser or soap and water, ensuring ventilation, wiping of surfaces and desisting from sharing bathing materials and utensils.”

Out of the 24 South Africans who have tested positive for the coronavirus so far, the province leads with 10 cases. Gauteng also has 10 confirmed cases while the Western Cape has three cases and Mpumalanga one case.

Simelane-Zulu appealed for calm and added that the department would be intensifying its efforts to distribute information, education, and communication material to help keep the public informed.