Johannesburg - The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has confirmed that four of its members have tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus.
The SANDF confirmed on Wednesday that three of the cases were from the Western Cape and one was from Gauteng.
It said none of the members were uniformed members deployed to assist the South African Police Service in enforcing the national lockdown regulations.
The SANDF said it had identified quarantine and isolation facilities for the military community in preparation for the envisaged overflow in military hospitals and sickbeds.
"Frontline workers have been issued with personal protective equipment. Other preventative measures include thermal screening, hand sanitising and wearing of surgical masks by the department of defence personnel," the SANDF said.
On Tuesday, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize confirmed that 87 022 tests have been conducted for the Covid-19 coronavirus as the number of confirmed infections had risen to 2 415.
Mkhize made the announcement on Tuesday as the country entered week three of an extended lockdown. The lockdown is now expected to end on April 30.
The number of deaths remains at 27. The department of correctional services has also announced that 78 confirmed cases had been reported at a correctional services facility in East London. The first confirmed case of the infection was an employee a week ago.
Gauteng has the highest reported cases and it is followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal.
A breakdown of the cases is as follows;
Gauteng 909
Western Cape 643
KwaZulu Natal 489
Eastern Cape 174
Free State 98
Limpopo 24
Mpumalanga 22
North West 22
Northern Cape 16
Unallocated 18
IOL
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** If you think you have been exposed to the Covid-19 virus, please call the government's 24-hour hotline on 0800 029 999 or go to SA Coronavirus for more information.