Cape Town - The Western Cape has its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, according to Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize.
The Department of Health confirmed in a statement that the first case is "a 36-year-old male who had travelled to multiple countries including Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Turkey".
"He returned to South Africa on the 9th of March 2020," Mkhize said.
The health department also revealed that across the country 642 tests have been conducted.
The Western Cape's first case is among the 13 coronavirus positive patients in South Africa.
"All the patients have now been advised. Those who are symptomatic have started receiving treatment. Some of these patients are already in hospital while some, specifically those who are asymptomatic are in self quarantine. Contact tracing has also started for all these cases," Mkhize said.
Premier Alan Winde has said that he along with Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo will brief media on first case of Covid-19 in the Western Cape
Winde and Mbombo will address media on the Western Cape Government’s preparedness.
The premier also revealed that the tour of the isolation unit at Tygerberg Hospital, earmarked to quarantine and treat Covid-19 positive patients in the province, will still continue on Wednesday.
The City of Cape Town added on Tuesday that is has received numerous questions about its preparedness to deal with any potential cases of coronavirus.
"We would like to reassure our residents that the City is working closely with the lead agencies involved, to ensure a coordinated and effective response, if required. We do ask that the public please take cognisance of the key prevention messages around handwashing, but also preventing the transmission of germs when coughing or sneezing if you have a cold. We’ve also seen a run on items like hand sanitiser in stores, but soap – when correctly used - is actually more effective," said the City’s Mayco Member for Community Services and Health, Zahid Badroodien.
Numerous resources have been made available to the public regarding Covid-19. These include:
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The NICD Hotline on 0800 029 999 operates seven days a week, 24 hours a day
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Cape Argus