South Africa’s first COVID-19 case was confirmed this afternoon. A 38-year-old man from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), who recently returned from a trip to Italy, has tested positive for COVID-19.
Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has sent a team of epidemiologists and clinicians to KZN, said Mkhize in a statement.
The Western Cape government also issued a statement on their website stating that the province is working with City Health and the private sector to ensure that they are ready to respond.
Thermal scanning is being used as a monitoring tool at Cape Town International, as more travelers enter the country.
As of 3 March, the Western Cape has had a total of 32 suspected cases of COVID-19, but they have all tested negative.
In his address in the National Assembly, Mkhize stated that citizens must not allow panic to set in, although the spread of this virus is indeed worrying.
“In January it was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO). That allowed us to activate our emergency operations centre,” said Mkhize.
According to a Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission, most people infected with the virus have mild disease and recover.
This is a developing story. MatieMedia will update readers as it unfolds.
