Staff Reporter
The Free State Department of Health says it has tested about 360 people who attended a conference at the Divine Restoration Ministries church in Bloemfontein about two weeks ago for COVID-19 following concerns they might have contracted the disease after some overseas visitors tested positive.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, spokesperson Mondli Mvambi said the provincial health department expects to screen and test more people in the coming weeks and that could result in the province recording more cases.
“The numbers of screened and tested people will rapidly change from time to time as more people are traced by the tracing teams,” he said.
“The media should not be shocked to see higher numbers as and when the minister will be reporting.
“This is due to increasing numbers of people that are showing up for screening and testing and the availability of results.”
South Africa now has 554 confirmed COVID-19 cases after recording 152 new cases from the previous figure of 402.
The Free State recorded five new cases to put the tally at 18.
A total of 12 815 tests for COVID-19 have been conducted in the country.
The provincial health department also urged other Divine Restoration Ministries church members to come forward and get tested at Pelonomi Hospital.
The screening and testing centre is open from 7am-4pm.
The department last week launched a massive exercise to trace members of the church who could have made contact with the five visitors.
Two of them came from Texas in the United States, while the other two were from Israel and one from France.
They have been quarantined at a bed-and-breakfast establishment in the city.
Management and staff at the facility have also been quarantined.