Mkhize recalled how plans were put into motion to tackle the coronavirus after the first cases were detected in KwaZulu-Natal. He said what was most heartening for him was when nurses at Greys Hospital, during his visit there a year ago, started singing that they did not fear Covid-19 and were ready to tackle the coronavirus. “That was the beginning of the hope we all shared. “The real crunch time came when we saw every day that the numbers were doubling. I recall several meetings with experts and professors to discuss this issue. It became clear the numbers and the way they were rising they would overwhelm the health system. Then came the expression of ‘flattening the curve’.”