Coronavirus Update: 17 Confirmed cases in SA, first local transmission reported

On 12 March 2020 the Ministry of Health confirmed an additional four confirmed cases of Coronavirus in South Africa bringing the total number of people infected to 17.

The ministry also announced the first case of local transmission which occurred in the Free State. According to the ministry, the 32-year-old male came into contact with a Chinese businessman. This is the first case of local transmission as all others have been by patients who had travelled abroad.

Other reported cases are as follows:

The other confirmed cases are from the following Provinces:

KwaZulu-Natal: 1

A 38 year male from Durban who lives in Turkey and was visiting his family in South Africa has tested positive. He had travelled to the UK and returned to SA on the 7th of March 2020.

MPUMALANGA: 1

A 27-year-old female from Mpumalanga who had travelled to the United States. She returned to South Africa on the 7th of March 2020.

GAUTENG: 1

A 43-year-old male from Johannesburg who had travelled to New York via Dubai and returned to South Africa on the 8th March 2020.

At this stage, all patients are in self-quarantine and have mild to moderate symptoms. They are also on symptomatic treatment.

The ministry added that its tracing teams are now making a list and have started contacting individuals that have been identified as these patients contacts.