Mkhize: No need to panic after confirmation of first coronavirus case
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has urged South Africans not to panic following the first positive test in South Africa for Covid-19 (coronavirus).
He briefed Parliament and the media in Cape Town on Thursday.
A 38-year-old South African man tested positive after landing at OR Tambo International Airport on March 1 from Italy.
Mkhize says the man subsequently took a flight to KwaZulu-Natal where he started experiencing symptoms three days later.
"There are certain basic precautions that we need to take into account, but our readiness to deal with this is in emergency mode. When cases arise they will be taken to 11 of the hospitals, we have removed Tembisa out of those after concerns were raised."
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The minister confirmed that a team from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) has already landed in KZN to transport the patient to the nearest treatment center.
The team will also test his family and the doctor who treated him.
Those who were on the flight with the man are in the process of being tracked down for quarantine and tests.
Mkhize reiterated that South Africa has enough resources to deal with the virus including masks, protective clothing and, medicine.