MAHIKENG - The North West is ready to respond to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) threat, health MEC Madoda Sambatha said.
"We must work out a proper means of caring for ourselves against the coronavirus. There should be an internal awareness response, how must we handle ourselves in our houses, how must we handle ourselves in the community...," he told reporters in Mahikeng on Friday night.
He said communities had to know what they should do to avoid the spread of COVID-19. "Currently the focus is on screening and training officials. The focus is on borders ... the community must know what to do."
Klerksdorp Hospital had been identified as the centre to refer cases of coronavirus in the North West, he said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of March 6, there were 98,192 confirmed cases around the world. China had 80,711 confirmed cases and 3045 fatalities. Outside of China, there had been 17,481 confirmed cases and 335 deaths in 88 countries.
Seven African countries - South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, and Cameroon - had confirmed cases of COVID-19.