The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) announced on Thursday 19 March that the first confirmed cases of coronavirus have been found in the Free State.
“Free State province has its first confirmed cases,” it said, just hours after the country’s total number was confirmed.
“The patients are being informed as we speak, some have already been taken into quarantine by the provincial government. We will fully disclose the numbers of these cases tomorrow, once all the patients are aware,” it added.
Free State Province has its first confirmed cases. The patients are being informed as we speak, some have already been taken into quarantine by the Provincial Government. We will fully disclose the numbers of these cases tomorrow, once all the patients are aware.
— NICD (@nicd_sa) March 19, 2020
Coronavirus cases prior to Free State announcement
On Thursday afternoon, prior to the Free State announcement, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced that the total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country, stating that the number had increased by 34.
On Wednesday 18 March, the number was at 116 and just one day later, it reached 150.
The NICD later released the breakdown of numbers by province which obviously did not include the Free State.
According to the NICD, there is not just one person infected in the Free State, but rather what seems to be a group of people. This means the number could increase dramatically by Friday.
Provincial breakdown of latest coronavirus cases
Before the announcement of cases in the Free State, the provincial breakdown of coronavirus cases were as follows:
New coronavirus cases in Gauteng
- A 41-year-old female who travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo;
- A 43-year-old female who travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo;
- A 37-year-old female with no international travel history;
- A 54-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom;
- A 58-year-old male who travelled to the United Kingdom;
- A 38-year-old male who travelled to France;
- A 70-year-old female who travelled to the United States;
- A 30-year-old male who travelled to Spain;
- A 45-year-old male who travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo;
- An 85-year-old male who travelled to Switzerland;
- A 64-year-old male who travelled to Vietnam and Thailand;
- A 41-year-old male who travelled to the Netherlands;
- A 23-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 5-year-old female with pending travel history; and
- A 44-year-old male with pending travel history.
A total of 15 new coronavirus cases.
New cases in KwaZulu-Natal
- A 71-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom;
- A 26-year-old male who travelled to Mexico and the United States of America; and
- A 29-year-old female with pending travel history.
A total of three new cases.
New cases in Mpumalanga
- A 56-year-old female who travelled to France.
New cases in the Western Cape
- A 53-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom;
- A 30-year-old female who travelled to the Netherlands and Qatar;
- A 45-year-old male who travelled to Mexico;
- A 70-year-old female who travelled to the United States;
- A 25-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom;
- A 37-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom;
- A 43-year-old female who travelled to the United States;
- A 31-year-old male who travelled to Spain and the Netherlands;
- A 53-year-old female who travelled to Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and Germany;
- A 22-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom;
- A 63-year-old male who travelled to Switzerland, Czech Republic and Germany;
- A 22-year-old male who travelled to Spain and the Netherlands;
- A 32-year-old male who travelled to the United States;
- A 37-year-old male with pending travel history; and
- A 34-year-old male with pending travel history.
A total of 15 new cases.
Source: The South African Read More
