This is now taking the tally of the virus in South Africa to seventeen after Health minister Zweli Mkhize this morning, Thursday 12 March 2020, confirmed four more cases.

The 32-year-old man from the Free State came in contact with a businessman who returned from abroad. This is the first case of local transmission, as all other patients have been travelling abroad.

Mkhize says apart from the Free State case, there is one new case in KwaZulu-Natal, a first case in Mpumalanga, and another in Gauteng.

He says at this stage all patients are in self-quarantine. He further says they have mild to moderate symptoms. They are also on symptomatic treatment. “Our tracing teams are now making a list and have started contacting individuals who have been identified as these patients' contacts.”

This is a developing story.

OFM News