PRETORIA, March 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Africa on Thursday confirmed its first case of coronavirus, affecting a citizen who had passed through the main airport showing no symptoms on his way back from a trip to Italy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that the virus would hurt travel and tourism, and have a negative impact on South Africa’s already struggling economy, but urged citizens not to panic.
“We will keep informing South Africans openly and transparently about a number of steps we will be taking because this will turn out to be a national crisis,” the president said.
“It will have a huge impact on travel, and a negative impact also on our economy. It is already showing signs of having a negative impact on our tourism.”
The health ministry said the patient was a 38-year-old male who travelled to Italy with his wife, passed through the main O.R. Tambo airport in Johannesburg when they returned home and then went to the eastern region of KwaZulu-Natal. They were part of a group of 10 people and they arrived back in South Africa on March 1, it added.
According to a statement by the Health Department, the 38-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday morning.
“The patient consulted a private general practitioner on March 3, with symptoms of fever, headache, malaise, a sore throat and a cough. The practice nurse took swabs & delivered it to the lab. The patient has been in self-isolation since March 3,” the statement said.
The doctor who attended to the patient was also quarantined, according to the statement.
A team of health experts has now been deployed to the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal where the patient and doctor reside.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize told journalists that authorities would start a wider search for contacts of the patient. — NNN-AGENCIES
