It was announced on Friday 20 March that the total number of coronavirus cases in South Africa rose to 202. On Thursday, the total was 150, which essentially means that within 24 hours, there were 52 new cases confirmed.
What we want to know now is where those 52 new cases were found and how they most likely contracted the coronavirus.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize broke the 52 new cases down by province, age and circumstance.
Breakdown of latest coronavirus cases in SA
New coronavirus cases in Gauteng – 33
- A 33-year-old male who travelled to the United Kingdom and France;
- A 32-year-old female with pending travel history;
- A 56-year-old male who travelled to Switzerland;
- A 56-year-old female who travelled to Switzerland;
- A 34-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom and Austria;
- A 34-year-old male who travelled to Austria;
- A 27-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 22-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom;
- A 31-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 52-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom;
- A 54-year-old male who travelled to London;
- A 53-year-old male who travelled to Austria and Switzerland;
- A 32-year-old female with pending travel history;
- A 33-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 52-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 20-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 37-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 47-year-old female with pending travel history;
- A 23-year-old male with no international travel history;
- A 32-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 21-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 34-year-old female with pending travel history;
- · A 40-year-old female with pending travel history;
- · A 41-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A two-year-old boy with pending travel history;
- A 39-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 58-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 56-year-old male who travelled to the United States;
- · A 28-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 67-year-old male who travel to the United Kingdom;
- An 11-year-old boy who travelled to Spain;
- A 30-year-old male who travelled to the United States; and
- A 53-year-old male who travelled to the United Kingdom.
New coronavirus cases in the Free State – 7
- A 38-year-old male who travelled to France;
- A 54-year-old male with pending travel history;
- A 55-year-old male who travelled to France;
- A 52-year-old male who travelled to Israel;
- A 68-year-old male who travelled to Israel;
- A 74-year-old male with pending travel history; and
- A 32-year-old male with pending travel history.
New coronavirus cases in the Western Cape – 11
- A 31-year-old female who travelled to the United Kingdom;
- A 34-year-old who travelled to the Netherlands;
- A 26-year-old who travelled to the Netherlands;
- A 29-year-old with pending travel history;
- A 69-year-old male who travelled to Switzerland and Dubai;
- A 58-year-old who travelled to the United Kingdom, Austria and Tanzania;
- A 23-year-old male who travelled to the United Kingdom and Germany;
- A 43-year-old female who travelled to Canada and Austria;
- A 60-year-old male who travelled to Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Austria;
- A 62-year-old who travelled to the United Kingdom, Austria and Switzerland; and
- A 63-year-old male who travelled to the United Kingdom and Italy.
New coronavirus cases in KwaZulu-Natal -1
- A 29-year-old female with pending travel history.
Mkhize: No need to panic
In future, all results will be released in the form of an Excel spreadsheet, reflecting all confirmed cases, the latest numbers per province, the gender, age group and the plot epicurve.
“The rate of spread of the infection is increasing. However, this should not prompt a panic response,” said Mkhize.
“We must inform the public that it is projected that the virus could affect 60% of citizens in the future. It must be emphasised that most South Africans will only experience mild symptoms and humans are capable of developing immunity to the virus. What is of paramount importance is to strive to flatten the curve by slowing down the rate of spread,” said Mkhize.
Free State registers first cases
Mkhize said that in the Free State, “certain dynamics” had prompted a specialised response to the coronavirus outbreak in the province.
“Five travellers – two from Texas, two from Israel and one from France – entered the country between 9 and 11 March to participate in a church gathering. They subsequently developed symptoms and were thereafter quarantined in their rooms at the bed and breakfast they were residing in. Since then they have remained quarantined in that B&B and the staff that come into contact with the patients have also been quarantined within the B&B,” he said.
“Having learnt from the outbreak of Daegu and the situation of the Princess Diamond ship, it is necessary to treat the entire congregation of this particular church gathering as a high-risk situation. As such, a call has been made for all members of this congregation who were present at the church conference, to cooperate and collaborate in a process that will ensure that up to 600 tests can be done for all individuals who came into contact with these patients.
“To aid the demands of this exercise, the Red Cross has stepped in by offering 282 volunteers who will assist with tracing the contacts. The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) will deploy a mobile testing unit with all necessary devices needed to conduct the test. This crucial intervention is acknowledged,” Mkhize added.
He said a further two cases of coronavirus were related to Brandwag Primary School in Bloemfontein.
One is a case of a parent who visited Italy and subsequently tested positive — this patient is under self-quarantine.
The second parent is a healthcare worker who works in various private institutions. She has two children attending the school who have developed symptoms. The children have been tested. Results are still pending. The mother and children are under self-quarantine.
Mkhize met with the Brandwag school community to give them an assurance that government would take all the necessary steps to ensure the safety of the pupils and teachers.
“At present, all children have been educated on the signs, symptoms and health preventative measures. Should the aforementioned children of the COVID-19-positive patients test positive, all the necessary contact tracing and testing will be done for affected learners, teachers and community members.
“We call on all parents and caregivers to invest in the education of their children on COVID-19 with accurate information and teaching of good healthy lifestyles and hygienic practice,” he added.
Latest Confirmed #COVID19 Cases as at 20 March 2020 2/3 pic.twitter.com/ureG6NTnhA
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) March 20, 2020
Latest Confirmed #COVID19 Cases as at 20 March 2020 3/3 pic.twitter.com/FiI77RkZKe
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) March 20, 2020
