Staff Reporter
The Free State is yet to record a single case of the novel coronavirus, but the provincial government is expected to brief the media on Wednesday afternoon on its state of readiness and plans to mitigate the spread of the virus, also known as COVID-19.
The briefing, set for 2pm at the President Hotel in Bloemfontein, follows a special Executive Council (EXCO) meeting on Monday after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared COVID-19 a national disaster a day earlier.
Premier Sisi Ntombela is expected to lead the briefing.
A statement issued on Tuesday night said the special EXCO sitting deliberated on a comprehensive action plan to be implemented by municipalities in the province in the fight against the pandemic.
The provincial government reiterated in the statement: “Work is underway with various stakeholders to ensure that the citizens of the province remain safe during this time. The (provincial government) further urges the citizens of the province to take necessary measures to intensify hygiene control during this time.”
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced this morning that South Africa now has a total of 116 confirmed cases recorded from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape.
There have been no deaths in the country.
The latest figure is an increase of 31 from the 85 cases reported by the minister on Tuesday night.
Mkhize said the country had recorded six new cases of local transmission.
“As part of tracking and tracing, we have collated background information on how these patients were infected. We will provide information to the public, so as to give a sense of how these local transmissions occur. We will however not disclose full details as this information is subject to patient confidentiality which we are bound by,” said the minister.
The details of the latest cases are as follows:
GAUTENG:
- A 25-year-old male who travelled to the UK
- A 45-year-old male who travelled to Austria
- A 52-year-old male who travelled to Austria and Italy
- A 49-year-old female who travelled to Austria and Italy
- A 35-year-old male who travelled to the UK and Netherlands
- A 34-year-old female who travelled to the UK
- A 30-year-old female who travelled to Switzerland and Austria
- A 36-year-old female who travelled to Switzerland and Austria
- A 30-year-old female who travelled to Italy
- A 35-year-old male who travelled to Italy
- A 34-year-old male who travelled to Italy
- A 37-year-old male who travelled to Finland and France
- A 20-year-old male with no international travel history
- A three-year-old male with no international travel history
- A 21-year-old female with no international travel history
- A 71-year-old female with no international travel history
KWAZULU-NATAL:
- A 59-year-old male who travelled to Austria and Italy
- A 54-year-old male who travelled to Italy
- A 55-year-old male who travelled to Italy
MPUMALANGA:
- A 64-year-old male who travelled to Italy
- A 56-year-old female with no international travel history
WESTERN CAPE:
- A two-year-old male who travelled to New Zealand
- A 51-year-old male who travelled to Egypt an Dubai
- A 35-year-old female who travelled to Switzerland and Dubai
- A 27-year-old female who travelled to Switzerland and Dubai
- A 60-year-old male who travelled to Portugal and the UK
- A 51-year-old male who travelled to the UK
- A 54-year-old female who travelled to Portugal and the UK
- A 51-year-old male who travelled to the UK
- A 26-year-old female who travelled to the UK
- A 68-year-old male with no international travel history