CAPE TOWN – National Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu has tested positive for Covid-19.
Her office made the announcement on Monday, after she received her results.
Zulu has immediately started isolating at home and is said to continue her duties without any disruptions.
She said it all started with a scratchy throat but she did not suspect anything. However, when the scratchiness in her throat persisted she went for a Covid-19 test and received her results on Monday morning.
“I am feeling well and I can attribute this to the fact that the virus found me fully vaccinated,” Zulu said.
Her contraction of the virus comes just as a new Covid-19 variant has been detected.
The new omicron variant has been declared a ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organisation.
“As President [Cyril] Ramaphosa emphasised last night (Sunday), vaccination is the most powerful tool we have and it is not too late to get vaccinated before the fourth wave hits us hard,” Zulu said.
The country will be hosting another Vooma Vaccination Weekend from December 3 until 5 and Minister Zulu calls on all South Africans from all walks of life to take the Covid-19 virus seriously and get vaccinated. She also urged all citizens to follow all Covid-19 protocols at all times by wearing a face mask, washing and sanitizing their hands and keeping a physical distance.
On Monday, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) reported a total of 2 273 new cases and 25 Covid-19 related deaths for the country.
It said 84 percent of the cases accounted for came from the Gauteng province.