Staff Reporter
The Free State province has recorded its first COVID-19 cases, with the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease in South Africa now standing at 150.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced the latest figures Thursday night but he was not in a position to reveal the number of the confirmed cases in the province, saying the patients had to be informed first.
“We also wish to advise South Africans that the Free State province now has its first confirmed cases,” he said in a statement.
“The patients are being informed as we speak, some have already been taken into quarantine by the provincial government. We will fully disclose the number of these cases tomorrow, once all the patients are aware.”
Mkhize said the countrywide toll had risen to 150, an increase of 32 positive cases since his previous announcement on Thursday morning.
“We wish to confirm that as of today, South Africa now has 150 confirmed cases of COVID-19. This means there has been an increase of 34 positive cases from the announcement earlier today,” the minister said.
News of the Free State’s first confirmed cases came barely 24 hours after Premier Sisi Ntombela announced the province will employ 1 000 nurses from the beginning of April as it steps up efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
She said the nurses were expected to ease pressure at the Pelonomi Hospital isolation facility in Bloemfontein as well as at other district hospitals earmarked for admitting patients who test positive to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, despite the increase in the number of positive cases, Mkhize revealed that some of the COVID-19 patients were recovering well.
“We are pleased to also inform the public that we are now seeing recoveries of previously reported COVID-19 cases,” he said.
“We are in the process of conducting further confirmation tests and medical examinations, then we formally inform the public on the numbers of recoveries. At this stage, most of the patients are recovering well.”