Testing on hold as priorities change

EFFORTS to reduce the backlog of Covid-19 tests in KwaZulu-Natal have been put on hold to accommodate more urgent cases as the province continues to experience an upsurge in infections.

This is according to the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), which revealed yesterday that the province has the fourth highest number of positive cases in the country and contributes 9% of the cases reported nationally.

Last month, the backlog had been reduced from 29 000 to 11 000 and was expected to be cleared by the end of June.

Sibulele Bandezi, KZN area manager for the NHLS, said the backlog currently sat at 3 000 tests.

Bandezi said the NHLS’s priority has shifted to the more urgent cases that continued to come in.

“Once we close those then we deal with the backlog.

“Unfortunately, the numbers have gone up and with the limited resources that we have, all resources are focused on urgent cases rather than the historic backlog.

“Over the past 10 days, we have seen positive cases coming from all 11 health districts in KZN, and not just eThekwini.”

He said that with the opening of schools, the number of positive tests had increased rapidly.