Durban - Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize said on Thursday that they were expecting the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in South Africa to reach 200 by Friday.
Mkhize was speaking at a Q&A session with doctors from the South African Medical Association in Pretoria on Thursday.
"Last night at 8pm, we had 150 cases and by tomorrow we are expected the figure to be 200. The President has called for stringent measures to be called for us to unite to fight this virus," the Minister said in a tweet.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAMA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAMA #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/wCU0Bjzkqq
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize)
On Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country's confirmed cases had reached 150 from the first case which was reported more than two weeks ago.
Mkhize said his department has had a number of meetings with various sectors and all have been supportive.
He added that the health department is monitoring the behaviour of the virus.
"We need to face reality. We must learn from other countries but let's make our own history," Mkhize said.
Mkhize said the department was also starting to take note of recoveries of previously recorded cases.
"We are in the process of conducting further confirmation tests and medical examinations then we formally inform the public on the numbers of recoveries," he said.
RECOVERIES
— Department of Health (@HealthZA) March 19, 2020
We are pleased to also inform the public that we are now seeing recoveries of previously reported COVID-19 cases. We are in the process of conducting further confirmation tests and medical examinations then we formally inform the public on the numbers of recoveries
GAUTENG
: 15
-A 41 year old female who had travelled to DRC
-A 43 year old female who had travelled to the UK
-A 54 year old female who had travelled to the UK
-A 58 year old male who had travelled to the UK
-A 38 year old male who had travelled to France
-A 70 year old female who had travelled to USA
- A 30 year old male who had travelled to Spain
-A 45 year old male who had travelled to DRC
-A 85 year old male who had travelled to Switzerland
-A 64 year old male who had travelled to Vietnam and Thailand
-A 41 year old male who had travelled to Netherlands
-A 37 year old female with no international travel history
-A 23 year old male with no contact details on lab form, information being obtained from the private doctor
-A 5 year old female with no contact details on lab form, information being obtained from the private doctor
-A 44 year old male with no contact details on lab form, information being obtained from the private doctor
KWAZULU-NATAL
:3
-A 71 year old female who had travelled to the UK
-A 26 year old male who had travelled to Mexico and USA
-A 29 year old female with no contact details on lab form, information being obtained
from private doctor
MPUMALANGA
: 1
-A 56 year old female who had travelled to France
WESTERN CAPE
: 15
-A 53 year old female who had travelled to the UK
-A 30 year old male who had travelled to Netherlands and Qatar
-A 45 year old male who had travelled to Mexico
-A 70 year old female who had travelled to USA
-A 25 year old female who travelled to the UK
-A 37 year old female who travelled to the UK
-A 43 year old female who travelled to USA
-A 31 year old male who travelled to the Spain and Netherlands
-A 53 year old female who travelled to the Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and Germany
-A 22 year old female who travelled to the UK
-A 63 year old male who travelled to the Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic and Germany
-A 22 year old female who travelled to Spain and Netherlands
-A 32 year old male who travelled to USA
-A 37 year old male with no contact details on lab form,
-A 53 year old male with no international travel history