This as on Tuesday morning 24 March 2020 Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize, confirmed during a media briefing that his tracing team is posed with a challenge in its effort to track and trace these people. He says this as many of those are now believed to have gone back to their respective communities and this makes it difficult for the tracing team. His utterance comes as the Free State recorded 5 more new cases of the virus, taking the tally to 18 from 13, as announced on Monday 23 March 2020. On Friday, during a media briefing at Bophelo House in Bloemfontein, Mkhize said five international congregants who attended a church gathering at the Divine Restoration Ministries at Bloemfontein, had tested positive for Covid-19.

Mkhize said one patient was moved from a private isolation place to the designated provincial government isolation centre at Pelonomi. These five international guests, which include two from Texas in the United States, two from Israel and 1 from France, had tested positive for Covid-19, as a result, four more people tested positive and it then took the tally to 13. On Saturday the provincial  Health MEC, Montsheng Tsiu, went on to report that of the 62 people screened for the virus, 9 displayed symptoms and were tested. Department spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, now confirmed that of this nine, four tested positive. 

Well-known writer and evangelist, Angus Buchan, and leader of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), Kenneth Meshoe, were amongst those attending the gathering. Meshoe, who on Sunday announced he would undergo testing for the novel coronavirus, was amongst other political leaders who met with Ramaphosa coincidentally regarding the coronavirus, less than a week after he was at the Bloemfontein gathering.

OFM News