South Africa has confirmed that a suspected case of Coronavirus (COVID-19) has tested positive.
South Africa’s Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, in a statement released Thursday confirmed that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NCID) confirmed a positive test.
“The patient is a 38-year-old male who traveled to Italy with his wife. They were part of a group of 10 people and they arrived back in South Africa on 1 March”
“The patient consulted a private general practitioner on 3 March with symptoms of fever, headache, malaise, a sore throat and a cough, he tested positive for COVID-19 and has been self-isolating since then.” Mkhize said in the statement.
The doctor has also been in isolation since March 3.
News of the first local Coronavirus case comes as the country readies to receive more than 100 citizens who are returning from China.
