Mkhize said the country's scientists had sequenced a coronavirus test from travellers and 11 cases had come back positive for the B.1.1.7 strain that was first detected in the UK.

Another four cases have tested positive for the B.1.617.2 coronavirus strain first detected in India.

He said all four cases had been isolated and they were detected in patients from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, all of whom had a history of travel from India.

The most glaring development was that the UK variant had been detected in a sequence from a community transmission. He said this showed that this variant had begun circulating in the country.

IOL/Zintle Mahlati